Real Madrid confirmed Franco Mastantuono will inherit Gonzalo García’s No. 30 shirt, the same number the Argentine donned at River Plate.
Despite signing with Los Blancos back in June, Mastantuono had to wait until his 18th birthday to be officially presented at Real Madrid City. The forward started his time off in the Spanish capital with a medical and then gave his first remarks as a Real Madrid player before revealing his new shirt.
Although Mastantuono was expected to take the number 25, which is the last first-team squad number available ahead of the 2025–26 season, the teenager instead claimed 30.
Leaving the number 25 open gives Real Madrid the opportunity to sign one more player during the summer transfer window to round out their first-team squad. The club has been in the market for a midfield reinforcement, most recently linked with Manchester City’s Rodri and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
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The decision also means Mastantuono is technically registered as a Real Madrid Castilla player. Real Madrid took a similar approach when Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo joined the team as teenagers.
The good news for Real Madrid is that they can still have Mastantuono with the first team all season long. Since the Argentine is under 23 years old, La Liga regulations allow the new signing to feature for the first team without needing a number change, even if he crosses the 10-match threshold that usually demands a player take a number no higher than 25.
The scenario benefits all parties involved, especially since Mastantuono already has ties to the number 30.
“It was me who asked president Florentino [Pérez] to take number 30,” he said. “It’s a special number for me. I wore it at River Plate too.
“It’s a very special day for me. It’s a dream come true as a footballer and as a person, to join a club like Real Madrid, the biggest in the world. I’m thrilled, and I want to share that joy with you because this will be a day I will remember forever.
“I promise I will give my life to this jersey, it’s the dream I have always had.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Franco Mastantuono’s Surprising Real Madrid Shirt Number Confirmed.
