Each team: Argentina plays against Venezuela at home, Mastantono is expected to welcome the national team s first start

This Friday, the Argentine national team will play against Venezuela at home in the 2026 South American World Cup qualifiers, and Mastantono is expected to have his first start in this game.

Mastantono has become Alonso's main player in just a few weeks. The team is currently competing in the left position, with Rodrigo and Vinicius competing for the starting position.

However, Mastantono's performance did not fully meet the expectations of some. He runs actively on the field, provides constant support, and performs well on the defensive end, which are particularly valued by Alonso. But he has not shown enough contributions in offense.

Although he nearly scored a great goal in the last game, he was highly expected. His performance is still insufficient at the moment, but there is no doubt that his potential is huge, and both the club and the technical team call for patience with him. Perhaps it only takes time for the Argentinian to be bolder on the offensive end and add more technology and accuracy to the traits he has shown.

Mastantono's focus is on Real Madrid, committed to improving his performance to continue to improve. However, now he needs to turn his attention to the Argentina national team for the time being. Scaloni is still confident in the player after allowing Mastantono, who is only 17 years old, to make his national team debut in June this year.

Scaloni even considered having him start with Messi in his last home game: "I think Mastantono is in good shape and the club is developing him in a positive way. His coach and teammates are supporting him, which is important. We have talked to him and learned about his form. He may start." "It's also possible that Nico Pas, he has played against Chile. They all have the potential to be a part of the team. It's an idea in my mind, and today I'll be finalized. No matter what happens, we can't forget their age, they are young people who can bring a lot of things to us in the future."

Mastantono has publicly stated that he is a fan of Messi and called him "the best player in the world" when joining Real Madrid. It is undoubtedly significant for him to be able to participate in one of Messi's last home World Cup qualifiers in Argentina. So far, he has only competed with Messi in the last few minutes of the game against Chile.

Mastantono has the chance to have his first national team start against Venezuela, it all depends on Scaloni, but if he does start, the prospects for the 18-year-old will be even more exciting.