FIFA Nullifies Argentina’s Plan to Retire Messi’s No. 10 Shirt

Argentina’s forward #10 Lionel Messi has tears in his eyes as celebrates winning the 2026 World Cup round of 16 football match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on July 7, 2026.

Argentina’s plan to retire Lionel Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt has been blocked by FIFA regulations, according to GOAL.com reports on Thursday.

The Argentine Football Association reportedly wanted to permanently retire the number following Messi’s retirement from international football.

Messi announced on August 31 that he would retire from international football after more than two decades with Argentina.

The Inter Miami forward is expected to make his farewell appearance before the Argentine public on October 6 when the country faces Benin in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

Messi, who has 207 international appearances and 125 goals, has worn Argentina’s No. 10 shirt throughout much of his international career.

However, FIFA regulations require teams competing in international final tournaments to use squad numbers from 1 to 26, preventing Argentina from permanently retiring the No. 10 shirt.

Liberia encountered a similar issue 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 head coach Lionel Scaloni has yet to decide who will inherit Messi’s number.

“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,” ESPN quoted Scaloni as saying.

However, ESPN Argentina reporter Federico Bueno reported that Nico Paz is the leading candidate to take over the shirt if Scaloni extends his contract.

“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.

Paz, 22, is an attacking midfielder who previously played for Real Madrid before joining Italian side Como permanently for €60m last summer.

He has made 11 appearances for Argentina and scored once.