Lionel Messi’s international retirement: Who will inherit the iconic number 10 in Argentina?

Lionel Messi is saying goodbye to international soccer. Following his retirement, many supporters are wondering who will wear the iconic No. 10 jersey for Argentina from now on.

Head coach Lionel Scaloni has acknowledged that he has not yet made a decision regarding who will inherit the No. 10 shirt after Messi, though he is well aware that the choice will have to be made soon.

Under FIFA regulations, all national teams must assign sequential squad numbers (1–23 or 1–26) for official matches. Because Argentina cannot permanently retire the No. 10 jersey, Scaloni opted to “freeze” it for the friendlies Messi missed during this international window.

Who could inherit Lionel Messi’s No. 10 jersey in Argentina?

The primary frontrunners to carry the legacy forward are Nico Paz and Franco Mastantuono, though the shirt will forever remain intrinsically linked to both Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.

Nico Paz is a 22-year-old attacking midfielder who has captured the soccer world’s attention. While he has received glowing praise from his international teammates, there remains a long path ahead for him to prove he deserves to wear such a historic number.

As for Franco Mastantuono, he was signed by Real Madrid as a generational prospect. Following initial struggles to meet lofty expectations, he was sent on loan to Fiorentina, where a solid campaign has re-established him as the elite young talent that originally put him on Los Blancos’ radar.