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Real Madrid Loanee Breaks Lionel Messi Record in Italy
On loan Real Madrid winger Franco Mastantuono became the youngest Argentine to score a hat trick in Europe's top leagues during Fiorentina's win.
By the EagleEyeOdds desk, 43 min ago
Mastantuono Makes History
Franco Mastantuono has written his name into the history books. The on loan Real Madrid winger scored three times on Friday to help Fiorentina beat Venezia 4-2. In doing so, he became the youngest Argentine player to score a hat trick in the top five leagues of European football.
At just 19 years and 28 days old, Mastantuono broke the record previously held by Lionel Messi. He is 231 days younger than Messi was when the Barcelona legend scored his first hat trick against Real Madrid back in March 2007.
Instant Impact for Fiorentina
The goals were Mastantuono's first since he joined Fiorentina on a season long loan last month. His performance earned the Italian club its first points of the season, lifting them to 15th in the table. He also became the youngest Fiorentina player ever to score multiple goals in a single game.
Venezia actually opened the scoring through Akor Adams in the 22nd minute. But Mastantuono turned the game around, scoring twice in just one minute and 38 seconds around the half-hour mark. Mateo Pellegrino added a third for Fiorentina, and Mastantuono secured his hat trick six minutes before the end. Antoine Hainaut scored a late second for Venezia, who remain at the bottom of the table.
Rebuilding After Spain Struggles
This performance is a major boost for the young winger. Mastantuono signed a six year deal with Real Madrid from River Plate in June 2025, choosing them over Paris Saint-Germain. He made his senior debut for River Plate at 16 and became Argentina's youngest international in June 2025.
However, his first year in Spain was difficult. He scored only three goals in 35 appearances last season and missed out on Argentina's World Cup squad. With his hat trick on Friday, he has already matched his entire goal tally from last season.
What it means for the next game
Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano (LaLiga, Sat, 12 Sep): Real Madrid win 83%, draw 11%, Rayo Vallecano win 6%; expected goals 3.26 to 0.83. Our safest pick: Over 2.5 goals.
Elche vs Real Madrid (LaLiga, Tue, 15 Sep): Elche win 13%, draw 20%, Real Madrid win 67%; expected goals 0.88 to 2.19. Our safest pick: Real Madrid draw no bet.
