Franco Mastantuono wrote the first extraordinary chapter of his journey with Fiorentina, becoming the youngest Argentine player to score a hat-trick in one of Europe’s top five leagues at 19 years and 28 days old.
The milestone arrived during Fiorentina’s 4-2 victory over Venezia, handing the team their first three points of the Serie A season following three consecutive defeats and a disastrous start that featured just one goal scored and nine conceded.
La Viola fell behind in the 22nd minute before Mastantuono received the ball from Alejandro Jiménez on the right flank, cut inside past his marker, and struck with his left foot inside the near post to equalize in the 29th minute.
Just one minute and 36 seconds later, the Argentine popped up inside the box once again, dribbling past a defender before driving a low shot between his legs; the ball struck the post and crossed the line, turning the scoreline around before halftime.
Mastantuono completed his hat-trick in unusual fashion in the 84th minute when the goalkeeper saved his initial shot, only for the rebound to strike the attacker’s face and bounce into the net. He finished the match with eight total shots, three successful dribbles, and two fouls won.
At 19 years and 28 days old, the Fiorentina playmaker surpassed Lionel Messi’s benchmark. Messi scored the first hat-trick of his career at 19 years and 259 days old against Real Madrid during a 3-3 Clásico draw on March 10, 2007, netting for Barcelona in the 11th, 28th, and 91st minutes.
Real Madrid agreed last August to loan Mastantuono to Fiorentina until June 30, 2027, with no option to buy, seeking more playing time for the youngster after he managed three goals across 35 appearances and 1,484 minutes in his debut season with Los Blancos.
His breakout performance came just days after the dismissal of Fabio Grosso, the manager who personally requested his signing and handed him a starting role. Amid reports that Real Madrid were considering cutting the loan short, the Argentine prodigy answered with his career-first hat-trick, shifting the narrative entirely.
