In the latest in our series of wonderkids from different countries, our next stop is Argentina. The South American nation has produced some of the world’s greatest players in the history of the beautiful game, such as Diego Maradona and, of course, Lionel Messi.
The Argentinian conveyor belt of talent doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Here are our favourite wonderkids from FM26:
Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid)
The attacking midfielder is regarded as one of the world’s brightest young talents. The 18-year-old made a highly promising start to his career at River Plate in his homeland before sealing a big move to Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer of 2025.
He has endured something of a slow start to his career in the Spanish capital. He has still appeared 26 times in all competitions for Los Blancos since the move, scoring three goals and producing one assist in the process.
Mastantuono’s status as one of the best young players in the world game is reflected in his FM26 stats. His dribbling, technique and flair attributes are all +16, while his other stats are strong all around, as you would expect.
The youngster establishes himself as one of the best players in the world, with unsurprisingly some of the best stats, becoming a player who produced consistent attacking returns.
The one caveat with the attacking midfielder is that Real Madrid doesn’t want to part with their prize asset. I did manage to sign him on loan in one of my personal saves in the second season, but Los Blancos didn’t want to sell him permanently. He went back to the Spanish capital and went on to become a superstar.
If you attempt to sign the attacking midfielder in the first summer transfer window, Real Madrid will demand £100m, plus a hefty sell-on fee. If you attempt to sign him on loan, he will come with a big loan fee, which can add up to around £4m.
Nico Paz (Como)
On a personal level, the attacking midfielder has been one of my favourite players to watch this season. The 21-year-old has played a key role in Como’s surprise top-four challenge in Serie A this season, scoring nine goals and producing six assists.
Real Madrid has a buy-back option for the attacking midfielder, and Los Blancos are expected to activate this option this summer. He could soon be teammates with Mastantuono.
Although born in Tenerife, Paz represents Argentina in the international game, having already made six appearances for the Albiceleste.
Looking at his FM26 stats, they are outstanding. Paz has a +16 for technique, passing, first touch, dribbling, vision, flair and determination. Many of his other stats are not far behind numerically.
Paz generally fulfils his potential in the game, becoming a player who both scores and creates goals.
Unsurprisingly, at the start of the game, Como are not too keen to sell Paz, which leads the Italian club to demand a fee of around £90m and a 40 per cent sell-on fee.
If you are a club with a big transfer budget, then I would suggest the attacking midfielder is even worth signing in the first summer, if you can negotiate the initial fee. He is a player who can slot in most teams and hit the ground running.
The alternative is to wait a few seasons, when his contract with Como has run down slightly, then he is available for a fee closer to £60m, which is money well spent in my book for such an outstanding player.
Santiago Castro (Bologna)
The 20-year-old forward is one of those players I love in FM26, but for some reason, I have very rarely signed him. Usually, after a season with the Italian club, another club with a big wallet has snatched him up.
At 20, he is one of the best young out-and-striker in FM26, which is why a higher-profile club than Bologna usually buys him.
His starting stats are strong, with +16 attributes in long shots, determination, balance, bravery, work rate, and anticipation. Castro has many attributes that are just below that figure and develop well over time.
Strangely, Castro doesn’t always fulfil his potential. However, when that happens, it is usually because he moves to a club where he doesn’t always play regularly. When he plays regular first-team football, he is generally prolific.
Bologna will accept an initial fee of £50m, plus £10m in add-ons and a high percentage of his sell-on fee. That is not a ridiculous fee for a player with such potential, especially if you can negotiate a reduced fee.
Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea)
The winger has enjoyed mixed fortunes at Chelsea since his big-money move from Manchester United last summer. However, Garnacho is still regarded as a highly promising young player who could become a star of the future.
Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro score in extra time to send @ChelseaFC into the FA Cup quarter-finals!
A thrilling match against Wrexham ends 4–2 to Liam Rosenior’s side 🍿 pic.twitter.com/LPgp2cH7C1
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 7, 2026
His starting stats are not that great, but he has +16 in dribbling, flair, pace, and acceleration, all of which are very useful for a wide player. A number of his other stats are also decently high.
A bit like Castro, Garnacho needs some tender loving care to flourish and fulfil his potential. The reason I like the 21-year-old is that he is available to sign on loan in the first transfer window. He usually performs really well for me, but then Chelsea want him back as they want to give him a chance in their first team.
To sign him permanently in the first transfer window would cost you an initial fee of around £60m, plus add-ons and a 40 per cent sell-on, which, in my opinion, is too much for him at that point.
Valentin Barco (Brighton, on loan at Strasbourg)
I couldn’t do this list without including one of my favourite wonderkids from past editions of FM. Barco is on loan at Strasbourg from parent club Brighton until the end of the season, scoring once and producing four assists in Ligue One.
The versatile star’s starting stats on FM26 are solid, with highlights including +15 attributes in corners, technique, first touch, flair, vision, and natural fitness.
Once again, Barco is a player who needs game time and the right training, or he doesn’t fulfil his potential, and his stats stagnate. If developed correctly, he becomes a top player.
With Barco being on loan at Strasbourg, it’s not possible to sign him in the first transfer window. However, you can arrange a transfer for the next summer for an initial fee of around £50m, plus add-ons of around £9m and a 40 per cent sell-on fee.
Who is your favourite Argentinian wonderkid of FM26?
