Before Franco Mastantuono was dazzling crowds at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Real Madrid wonderkid was uploading FIFA gameplay videos and fut drafts on pacybits to his own YouTube channel.
The Argentine prodigy’s lesser known teenage passion for content creation reveals a side of the midfielder that few fans know about.
In 2018, when he was just 10 years old, Mastantuono launched his YouTube channel under the name “Fran YTB,” creating content about football skills, challenges, and FIFA gameplay you can still look at his videos his channel is @francomatantuono8624 on Youtube.
The young talent would greet viewers with an enthusiastic “Hola amigos, bienvenidos a mi canal” (Hello friends, welcome to my channel).
His channel featured a mix of content from demonstrating his ball skills and completing football challenges to playing FIFA, giving fans a glimpse into the life of a talented kid who was equally passionate about real and virtual football.
There is an even clip of him juggling while wearing a Barcelona kit with Messi’s number 10 at the back something many Real fans would not like to see.
Like millions of football crazed youngsters around the world, Mastantuono was hooked on EA Sports’ FIFA franchise.
His gaming sessions weren’t just casual play they became content for his growing channel.
Crazy how life goes a teenager who spent hours playing FIFA and dreaming of football stardom now finds himself rated 77 overall in EA Sports FC 26, the very game series he used to play obsessively.
😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/0G02UA8xyh
— 🫵🏽 (@idoxvi) October 8, 2025
Fast forward to 2025, and the tables have turned dramatically. The player who once created content is now the subject of countless videos himself, having become one of River Plate’s youngest ever goalscorers before making the leap to Real Madrid.
His YouTube channel may have gone quiet, but his real life performances have generated millions of views across social media platforms. The transformation from bedroom YouTuber to Bernabéu star is remarkable.
At 10, he was balancing his football academy training with creating content for his small but growing audience. By 17, he was fielding offers from Europe’s biggest clubs, ultimately choosing Los Blancos.
While Fran YTB may be dormant, with Mastantuono focused entirely on his professional career, those old videos serve as a charming time capsule. They capture a moment when one of football’s brightest talents was just another kid who loved FIFA, loved football, and wanted to share that passion with the world.
