Patience pays off for Argentina's Prestianni

Some chances may take years to come along, but the reward is always worth the wait. Gianluca Prestianni knows what it feels like, having finally made his mark in an international tournament wearing the Argentina shirt at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025.

After missing out on the South American U-17 Championship, the FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023 and the South American U-20 Championship earlier this year, the gifted successor to Argentina's short-statured dynasty of talented footballers was awarded the Visa Player of the Match award following his country's semi-final victory over Colombia, which he also received after the match against Mexico. 

Still pumped after receiving the individual award and celebrating with his team-mates on their way to the mixed zone, Prestianni's first words to the media microphones came from a place of gratitude.

"First of all, I had to ask Benfica for permission to come. I wasn't available to compete in the South American Championships or the U-17 World Cup. I would like to thank Benfica publicly for allowing me to be here. We're going to try to win the World Cup and then I'll be back at Benfica to help them win everything. I'm getting more minutes, which I'm happy about."

As a product of the Velez Sarsfield youth academy, he made the move to Benfica in 2024, where he shared the dressing room with Angel Di María and Nicolas Otamendi. After a disappointing FIFA Club World Cup for his club, he has started to get more playing time under Jose Mourinho this season. Like Pep Guardiola did in 2008 when he gave Lionel Messi permission to participate in the Olympic Games, which the No10 ended up winning with his country, it was the Portuguese coach who approved the Argentinian's trip to Chile. 

Prestianni touched down in Chile hours before their opener against Cuba and started the tournament on the bench. Following a group stage that saw him play just 29 minutes in three games, having not featured against Cuba and coming on as a sub against Australia and Italy, Alvaro Montoro's injury (a broken collarbone that sent him home) in the round of 16 against Nigeria opened the door for him to make an impact in the starting line-up.

Prestianni seized the opportunity with both hands. In the quarter-finals against Mexico, he dazzled, and excelled in the semi-finals, with his game-winning assist against Colombia his most valuable contribution.

Prestianni started the first half as a winger in Diego Placente's revamped formation in a high-intensity, physical match, and after some half-time fine-tuning, he moved to the left flank in a 4-4-2 formation. During Argentina's first half, which saw them struggle against La Tricolor's stranglehold of a press, the former Velez man threw his talent into the collective effort and even earned himself a scratch on his face in the process.

"We all knew that Colombia would be a tough opponent. They would play aggressively, attack with pace, and try to hit us wherever they could," he said. "However, this team is ready for great things and can adapt to any type of game. We know there are times when we have to suffer, spells when we have to maintain possession, and occasions when we have to score. This team is ready for anything." 

Selfless when it came to his defensive duties, he would dribble inside from the left, darting in and out of defenders with his footwork, pace and tempo. It is Prestianni's trademark ability to accelerate and pump the brakes, and skills that throw opponents off balance, which came to the fore in his assist for Mateo Silvetti.

"We had spoken about it many times in the build-up to the match. We knew that they would switch off when we moved the ball from side to side," Prestianni admitted to FIFA. "Thankfully, I managed to call Chelo (Milton Delgado), who was quick to spot me so I could accelerate and pick out Silvetti's run." 

Placente was full of praise for his burgeoning star, with Prestianni now firmly rooted as one of the leading figures in Argentina's line-up.

"I'm pleased for him. He missed out on the World Cup when he was younger. It's not just about playing football, but also about growing up. As soon as he came in, he supplied us with plenty of solutions and knew how to bide his time. He looks much more mature now, and a much better player for it. He's always had the right qualities, so I think he's proving he can make a difference."