The sale of Franco Mastantuono to Real Madrid is worth more than millions of dollars. It is also the symptom of a chronic illness that afflicts Argentine football: the inability to retain exceptional talents long enough to enjoy them and, more importantly, to contribute to building truly competitive teams at the international level.
At just 17 years of age and with over 50 first-division appearances, Mastantuono follows in the footsteps of Claudio Echeverri, who was sold to Manchester City at the end of 2023. Both operations, although financially attractive, deprive the millionaire fans of enjoying the development of these diamonds in the rough and the club of counting on them in decisive competitions.
River Plate has established itself as one of the most successful youth academies in the world, but paradoxically, this success has become its greatest weakness. Financial pressure and the temptation of European offers create a perverse cycle: develop talents to sell them before they reach their full potential in our jersey.
This reality is not unique to River. Argentine clubs face economic structures that force them to function as constant exporters of talent rather than teams that compete for titles with their best players. Can this dynamic be changed?
Four innovations to retain talent
The solution is to implement structural changes that generate the resources and competitive environment necessary to make talent retention sustainable.
1. Unite football with venture capital: The most disruptive innovation River can implement is to transform itself from a traditional club into a Silicon Valley-style talent incubator. A sort of Player Venture Fund would function as a venture capital fund dedicated exclusively to player development, where each talent is treated as a long-term investment with the potential for exponential returns.
This model would operate through annual cohorts of selected players between the ages of 10 and 18, categorized by risk and investment levels: from blue chips (5-10 players with maximum potential) to high-risk experimental bets. Each player would receive tiered investment according to the stages of development, from early identification to elite exposure in international tournaments—similar to how startups receive Series A, B, and C funding.
Beyond the financial aspect, this fund would create a virtuous cycle of reinvestment: income from eventual transfers and sporting achievements would automatically feed the next generation of talent, turning River into a perpetual world-class player development machine.
2. International Scouting Ventures: River should adopt a venture capital approach to the international expansion of scouting, treating local academies as strategic partners rather than competitors. This International Scouting Ventures strategy would function as a decentralized investment fund. River would not build infrastructure from scratch in emerging markets but would co-invest in established youth academies in talent-rich yet undercapitalized regions.
The model would operate through joint ventures in Africa, Asia, Central America, and Central and Eastern Europe, where River would provide brand credibility, training methodologies, and a clear technical curriculum, as well as a clear pathway to professionalization. In return, local academies would give early access to their top talent, community trust, and day-to-day operations.
Each alliance would function as a “player micro-fund” with a clear incentive structure: River would get first option on top talent, while future transfer earnings would be shared through a 60/40 agreement.
By 2030, River could operate 6-8 global academic alliances, creating a competitive advantage in scouting that no South American club could match.
3. 18-team professional league: Transitioning from the current chaotic 30-team format to a focused 18-team professional league would represent a fundamental innovation in how Argentine football is organized, consumed, and monetized. Beyond simply reducing quantity for quality, it would align the domestic game with the operating models of top leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga. These leagues succeed not only because of their stars but also because they are built on elite and predictable competition, which attracts those who purchase broadcasting rights, sponsors, and fans.
From a competitive perspective, an 18-team league would intensify every game. With 34 games a year and more on the line, the regular season becomes much more meaningful. This format also supports better squad management, more thoughtful tactical preparation, and real-time youth integration-especially for elite clubs like River, which would benefit from the balance between domestic matches and continental competitions.
On the business side, this transformation could elevate the Argentine Primera División to a viable international product. A clearer, more digestible format is much easier to market globally. This change would also re-energize domestic media rights negotiations, attract higher-profile commercial partners, and help the league build a sustainable brand identity that is not constantly disrupted by short-term decisions.
Restructuring the league means rebuilding Argentine football as a competitively elite, export-ready, and future-proofed enterprise.
4. Copa Libertadores from South to North: Expanding the Copa Libertadores to include Mexican, U.S., and other CONCACAF clubs would transform the tournament from a regional event into a continental platform with direct access to North American markets. This expansion would multiply television rights, secure global sponsors, and significantly increase revenues for participating clubs.
Adopting the new 36-team format of the UEFA Champions League, the Libertadores could implement a single league phase where all clubs compete in an overall table. Each team would play eight games against eight different opponents, creating greater competitive variety and more attractive matches from the outset. The top eight teams would qualify directly for the round of 16, while teams from 9th to 24th place would participate in elimination playoffs.
This format would generate multiple commercial advantages. In addition, the extended league phase would maintain uncertainty until the last date, where each result could determine direct qualification, playoffs, or elimination.
The moment of transformation
These four innovations can make the sale of Franco Mastantuono the last of its kind. Retaining talent generates greater fan satisfaction, better sporting results, higher revenues from prizes and sponsorships, and increases the market value of players. River must evolve from an export academy to a destination that talents do not want to leave prematurely.
* Federico N. Fernández is a visionary leader dedicated to driving innovation and change. As the CEO of We Are Innovation, a global network of 50 think tanks and NGOs, Federico champions innovative solutions worldwide. His expertise and passion for innovation have earned him recognition from prestigious publications such as The Economist, El País, Folha de São Paulo, and Newsweek. Federico has also delivered inspiring speeches and lectures across four continents, authored numerous scholarly articles, and co-edited several books on economics.
Source: We Are Innovation
