Lionel Messi ruled out of Argentina squad: Who could wear his iconic No. 10 against Uruguay and Brazil?

When thinking about the No. 10 jersey in Argentina’s national team, two names immediately stand out: Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. However, with Messi ruled out of the upcoming CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil, the question arises—who will inherit the iconic number?

A minor adductor injury sustained during Inter Miami’s match against Atlanta United has forced Messi to withdraw from Argentina’s squad. The legendary forward first donned the No. 10 jersey for Argentina on March 28, 2009, and over the past 16 years, only a select few have worn it in his absence.

Without Messi, the No. 10 shirt has been worn by Sergio Aguero on seven occasions, Angel Correa three times, and Angel Di Maria, Enzo Perez, Hector Canteros, Nicolas Gaitan, and Paulo Dybala twice each.

Additionally, it has been used just once by Federico Insua, Ariel Ortega (in his farewell match against Haiti in 2010), Erik Lamela, Ever Banega, Javier Pastore, Lucas Mugni (who was called up for a friendly against Brazil in 2012 but did not play), Maximiliano Moralez, Walter Erviti, and Walter Montillo.

Who are the candidates to wear the No. 10?

The most recent player to wear the No. 10 besides Messi was Paulo Dybala, who donned it during Argentina’s September 2024 matches against Chile and Colombia, coming off the bench in both games. However, an injury to the semitendinosus tendon in his left thigh has ruled him out as well.

The only player in Argentina’s current squad who has previously worn the No. 10 is Atletico Madrid’s Angel Correa. However, fans on social media have floated alternative options, suggesting Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, or even Alexis Mac Allister—despite them traditionally wearing Nos. 9, 22, and 20, respectively.

There is also the possibility that the No. 10 remains unused. This would not be unprecedented, as Argentina has opted not to assign it on 28 occasions since Messi’s senior debut. With just four days until the Uruguay clash, Lionel Scaloni and his staff must decide whether to entrust someone with the legendary number or leave it vacant.