Real Madrid’s preparations for the Champions League group stage have been overshadowed in recent days by doubts over Franco Mastantuono’s registration status.
The 18-year-old Argentine midfielder, who arrived in Spain this summer, was initially registered with Castilla for administrative reasons, raising questions about his eligibility for Europe’s biggest competition.
Those questions have caught more intensity when Miguel Angel Galan, president of CENAFE, publicly raised question about Mastantuono’s eligibility.
Galan cited Article 31 of UEFA’s 2025/26 regulations, which requires clubs to submit two player lists. List A, capped at 25 senior players, must be finalized by September 2 and cannot be changed until the group stage ends.
List B is reserved for academy products, but only those who have spent at least two consecutive years with the club since the age of 15.
Since Mastantuono joined this year, he does not meet that threshold.
Noticia de Defensa Central.
La UEFA, según el artículo 31 del reglamento de la Champions League 25/26, establece que cada equipo debe inscribir a sus jugadores en dos listas: la A y la B. La lista A es la principal, formada por 25 futbolistas del primer equipo, y debe enviarse… pic.twitter.com/yUFQENvsJY
— Miguel Galan (@MiguelGalanCNFE) August 21, 2025
This comes after Galan strongly criticized Madrid’s approach of registering Mastantuono with the reserves while using him in the first team.
According to AS, Galan sent two formal letters to the RFEF after the Argentine featured against Osasuna under a reserve registration.
In those letters, he demanded stricter enforcement and argued that allowing clubs to list first-team players with reserve squads, even though they will play in the top flight undermines the integrity of the competition and distorts fair play.
Galan also questioned whether the federative license with the RFEF might prove binding for List A in the Champions League.
“The question remains whether the federative license with the @rfef is binding for list A,” He wrote on x
Spanish journalist says Real Madrid star will have no problem in Champions League registration
Spanish journalist Jose Felix Díaz wrote on X: “Don’t be fooled. Mastantuono will have no problem playing in the @ChampionsLeague with @realmadrid.”
Que no os engañen. Mastantuono no tendrá ningún problema en jugar la @ChampionsLeague con el @realmadrid
— José Félix Díaz (@jfelixdiaz) August 21, 2025
Since Mastantuono joined this year, he does not qualify for List B, which requires two consecutive years at the club after turning 15.
Therefore, Real Madrid are likely to include him in their 25-man List A squad to secure his Champions League eligibility.
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