Real Madrid new signing picks Barcelona legend Lionel Messi as the ‘best player in the world’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s newest signing, Franco Mastantuono, lit up his own unveiling by saying what most Barcelona fans already know deep down.

In front of the cameras, the Argentine teenager was asked who the best player in the world is. His reply was simple and honest, “I am Argentine and for me the best player in the world is Lionel Messi. I don’t have much more to say,” he said.

The line spread fast across social media and Spanish press, turning a Madrid event into an unexpected nod to Barça’s greatest icon.

A Madrid unveiling, a Barcelona truth

Mastantuono’s presentation arrived on 14 August 2025, the day he turned 18, after Real Madrid closed his move from River Plate earlier in the summer. The club confirmed in June that he would join on a long-term deal running to 2031.

For Barça supporters, the headline is not the paperwork. Rather it is that even Madrid’s newest prodigy chose Messi as the benchmark over Real Madrid icons like Cristiano Ronaldo or Karim Benzema.

Mastantuono said Messi is the best in the world. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, it is to be noted that Madrid’s outlay this window has been heavy, with figures around €63.2m cited for Mastantuono’s package.

None of that overshadowed his Messi remark, which instantly framed the story through a Barcelona lens. Greatness is measured against Messi, and that standard was set in Barcelona’s colours.

Why this matters for Barça

For Barcelona, the moment is a quiet win. It underlines the enduring pull of the club’s greatest player and the culture that shaped him.

While it is true that Mastantuono is more influenced by Messi’s Argentinian heritage than his Barcelona past, when a rising Madrid talent publicly picks Messi as the best, it reinforces Barcelona’s identity.

It also keeps Barça central to the conversation at the peak of Spanish football, even on a day owned by their rivals.

Source: AS