Everything seemed stable on the soccer map when, suddenly, an unexpected breakthrough shook the scene with unusual force. In the center of the television anticyclone of El Chiringuito, Jorge D’Alessandro dropped a statement with the strength of an Atlantic front: "Mastantuono is better than Lamine Yamal". Far from being a passing comment, the veteran analyst triggered all opinion alerts and fueled a storm that continues to develop with both hot and cold air in equal measure.
The D’Alessandro phenomenon: a polar front loaded with analysis
Jorge D’Alessandro, known for his explosive analysis and irrepressible passion, delivered two interventions —on Tuesday, June 10 and Sunday, June 15— that acted as successive waves of low pressure. In both, the focus was on young Franco Mastantuono, the Argentine gem from River Plate who has already signed for Real Madrid, but the surprising part was the direct comparison with Lamine Yamal, the prodigy child from FC Barcelona.
In his first diagnosis, the former goalkeeper emphasized that Mastantuono is "better than Lamine Yamal," highlighting his positional versatility as an attacking midfielder or central midfielder, a tactical richness that, according to him, the white club needed to incorporate "urgently." This statement acted like a rising easterly wind, provoking immediate reactions and generating friction between the fronts of blaugrana and Madridist supporters.
In his second appearance, days later, the storm intensified. D’Alessandro introduced a more technical analysis: "Lamine always shoots to the far post because he doesn't want contact. He runs away. It's a cognitive decision-making problem". With this mental weather report, the Argentine not only offered a tactical reading, but also proposed a formative and psychological approach to understanding Barça's winger. At the same time, he described Mastantuono as an "impressive" talent, with the potential to dazzle if the right system is found for him. According to him, playing alongside someone like Alexander-Arnold would "enrich" him.
The comparison between these two young talents has acted like a mass of hot air colliding with a wave of structural cold: on one hand, the rising phenomenon that is Yamal, established in LaLiga and with important minutes in the national team; on the other, the South American promise who hasn't crossed the Atlantic yet, but who raises waves of expectation with every appearance.
Social media have acted like convective cells, amplifying D’Alessandro's words and generating downpours of opinions, memes, and heated debates. Many Barça supporters have interpreted his words as an unjustified undervaluation of Yamal, while others, fascinated by Mastantuono's potential, see in them a forecast ahead of its time.
We have always known that, in these cases, it's best not to rush to early judgments and to keep the radar on: Mastantuono hasn't played a single minute in Europe yet, while Lamine Yamal has already shown his ability to shine in high-pressure contexts.