By Adegboyega Adeleye
FIFA has blocked Argentina’s plan to permanently retire Lionel Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt after the Inter Miami forward decided to end his international career.
According to Goal, the Argentine Football Association wanted to retire the number as a tribute to Messi after more than two decades with the national team; however, FIFA regulations prevent teams from permanently retiring numbers within the required squad range at major international tournaments.
Messi, 39, announced on August 31 that he was retiring from international football. He is expected to make his farewell appearance before the Argentine public on October 6 when Argentina face Benin in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
Messi has made 207 appearances for Argentina and scored 125 goals during his international career, wearing the iconic No. 10 shirt for much of his time with the national team.
However, FIFA rules require teams at international final tournaments to assign squad numbers from 1 to 26, meaning Argentina cannot permanently remove the No. 10 from its squad numbers.
Liberia encountered a similar situation after retiring the No. 14 shirt in honour of former striker and president George Weah. FIFA regulations subsequently required the number to be used during the country’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Argentina can leave the No. 10 shirt vacant for some friendly matches, but it must be assigned during major international tournaments.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has yet to announce who will inherit Messi’s famous shirt.
“We are not obliged to assign it for the upcoming matches, so we will give it to no one until after Leo’s farewell match. We just have not yet decided who,” Scaloni said, according to Goal.
However, ESPN Argentina reporter Federico Bueno reported that Nico Paz is the leading candidate if Scaloni extends his contract as Argentina coach.
“If Scaloni extends his contract as Argentina head coach, then Nico Paz will be the new number 10. That has been decided internally,” Bueno said, according to Goal.
Paz, 22, has made 11 appearances for Argentina and scored once. The attacking midfielder previously played for Real Madrid before joining Italian club Como permanently.
The No. 10 shirt has been associated with some of Argentina’s greatest footballers, including Diego Maradona, before Messi inherited the iconic number.
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