Mastantuono beats Messi record with Fiorentina hat trick

On-loan Real Madrid winger Franco Mastantuono eclipsed Lionel Messi as the youngest Argentine player to score a hat trick in Europe's top five leagues after scoring three times in Fiorentina's 4-2 victory at Venezia on Friday.

At 19 years, 28 days, Mastantuono is 231 days younger than Messi was when he scored the first hat trick of his Barcelona career against Real Madrid on March 10, 2007.

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Mastantuono's goals on Friday were his first for Fiorentina since joining from Madrid on a season-long loan last month and gave the Italian side its first points of the season.

With the hat trick, the Argentina international matched the goal tally he managed in 35 appearances for the Spanish giants last season.

Venezia, who had also lost their their first three Serie A games drew first blood when Akor Adams scored in the 22nd minute with a nice right-foot finish after good leadup work from American midfielder Gianluca Busio.

However, Mastantuono scored twice in one minute, 38 seconds on the half-hour mark to give Fiorentina a halftime lead. In doing so, he became the youngest Fiorentina player to score multiple goals in a single game.

Mateo Pellegrino made it 3-1 midway through the second with his second goal in two games and Mastantuono got his hat trick six minutes from time.

Antoine Hainaut scored a late second for Venezia but the defeat left it pointless and at the bottom of the 20-team table. Fiorentina moved into 15th.

Mastantuono emerged as a star at River Plate, making his senior club debut aged 16, and becoming the youngest player to play for Argentina's national team in June 2025.

He was one of the most sought-after young talents in world football when he signed for Madrid -- beating Paris Saint-Germain to his signature -- from River in June 2025, on a six-year deal.

However, he found life difficult in Spain last season, struggling to make an impact at the Bernabéu, and was left out of Argentina's squad for the World Cup.

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN's Alex Kirkland contributed to this report.