Why Argentina Isn’t Retiring Lionel Messi’s Shirt Number – A Simple Look at a Rare FIFA Rule
Argentina wanted to retire Lionel Messi’s famous No. 10 shirt, but a FIFA rule won’t let them.
Messi announced he’s retiring from international football on August 31, after an amazing career lasting more than 20 years. The Inter Miami star will say goodbye to Argentina on October 6, when they play Benin at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
Many people believe Messi is the greatest player ever. He showed why again at the 2026 World Cup, with some magical moments. He finished just behind Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in goals scored.
At 39, Messi proved age is just a number, almost leading Argentina to a second straight World Cup win, only losing 1-0 to Spain in the final.
To honor his incredible 125 goals in 207 games for Argentina, the team wanted to retire the No. 10 shirt. But FIFA rules say players’ numbers in international tournaments must be between 1 and 26, so Argentina can’t retire that number.
Other teams tried this too, like Liberia retiring No. 14 for George Weah. But during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, FIFA made Liberia bring that number back for a full squad.
Argentina, led by coach Lionel Scaloni, will play Burkina Faso on October 3 before Messi’s farewell match. Scaloni said former Tottenham defender Cristian Romero will be the new captain, but they aren’t giving out the No. 10 shirt just yet.
“We don’t have to assign it for these matches,” Scaloni said. “We want someone special to wear it after Messi leaves. We just haven’t picked who that is.”
According to ESPN Argentina reporter Federico Bueno, Como midfielder Nico Paz has been chosen internally to take the No. 10 shirt. If Scaloni stays as coach, Paz will be the next No. 10.
Paz is one of Europe’s most promising attacking midfielders, with 40 goal contributions in 81 games for Como. But stepping into Messi’s shoes won’t be easy, even though the 22-year-old is highly rated by big clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal.
Paz joined Como from Real Madrid for €60 million, and Real Madrid has an €80 million buy-back option. He’s scored once in 11 games for Argentina so far, and many are watching to see how he grows into the role.