Sports

FIFA Blocks Argentina’s Plan To Retire Messi’s No. 10 Shirt

Published October 2, 2026 at 12:55 PM

Key Takeaways

FIFA regulations have blocked the Argentine Football Association’s plan to permanently retire Lionel Messi’s No. ten shirt after his international retirement decision.
Messi announced his Argentina retirement on August 31, after 207 caps and 125 goals, and is expected to play a farewell friendly on October 6.
Argentina coach, Lionel Scaloni, said nobody will wear No. ten until Messi’s farewell match, while ESPN’s Federico Bueno named Nico Paz as leading candidate.

Argentina’s plan to permanently retire Lionel Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt has been blocked by FIFA regulations.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) reportedly wanted to retire the shirt after Messi decided to end his international career after more than two decades with the national team.

Naija News reports that Messi announced his international retirement on August 31 and is expected to make his farewell appearance on October 6, when Argentina faces Benin in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

The Inter Miami forward has made 207 international appearances and scored 125 goals for Argentina, wearing the 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. The rule prevents Argentina from permanently retiring the No. 10 shirt.

Liberia faced a similar situation after retiring the No. 14 shirt in honour of former striker and president George Weah. FIFA regulations later required the country to use the number during its 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has yet to decide who will inherit Messi’s 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 ESPN.

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

Paz, 22, previously played for Real Madrid before joining Italian club Como permanently for €60 million last summer. He has made 11 appearances for Argentina and scored once.

Author:

Ernest Victor

Victor Ernest Osong is a passionate communicator, teacher, poet, well-trained journalist, creative strategist, purpose-driven storyteller, and realist. With a strong foundation in writing, editing, content development, and leadership, he specializes in shaping narratives that inform, inspire, and ignite action. Email: [email protected]