Argentina should let another young kid dream of wearing Messi’s iconic No. 10.
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, but did you know that his iconic Argentina No. 10 shirt cannot simply follow him into retirement?
The Argentine Football Association has previously made its intentions clear. In 2024, AFA president Claudio Tapia said the No. 10 would be retired once Messi ended his Argentina career.
But there’s one major problem: FIFA regulations stand in the way.
For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA rules stated that teams could only use shirt numbers from 1 to 26. With squads allowed to have up to 26 players, permanently retiring the No. 10 would effectively be impossible under those rules.
So, despite Messi’s legendary status, Argentina may have to let another young player dream of wearing the iconic No. 10.
Argentina could leave the number unused in certain friendly matches, but when it comes to major tournaments, the famous No. 10 would have to return.
And Argentina have faced this problem before—with another football legend, Diego Maradona.
This isn’t the first time Argentina have tried to retire their iconic No. 10 shirt.
The AFA wanted to retire Diego Maradona’s No. 10 shirt ahead of the 2002 World Cup, but FIFA did not allow it. Ariel Ortega eventually wore No. 10 for Argentina at the tournament.
Ironically, if Argentina had been allowed to permanently retire Maradona’s number, Lionel Messi may never have inherited the iconic shirt—and the story of the No. 10 could have been very different.
Now, the same question has returned.
Messi leaves behind a legacy that has made the Argentina No. 10 his own for a generation. But unless FIFA changes its regulations, Argentina cannot permanently retire the famous shirt.
And perhaps that is the beauty of football: one legend passes the number on, giving another young dreamer the chance to write the next chapter.
Someone will eventually have to wear it again.
And perhaps Argentina don’t need to retire the No. 10 after all. Somewhere out there, countless young kids are dreaming of one day pulling on that famous shirt and representing their country.
Messi’s legacy will live on for generations, regardless of who wears the number next.
His influence on Argentina—and on football itself—is something that may never be matched.
