Lionel Scaloni reveals decision on Lionel Messi’s No. 10 after renewing with Argentina

One of the first questions of Argentina’s new era is who will inherit the No. 10 shirt left vacant by Lionel Messi. After the Argentine Football Association confirmed Lionel Scaloni’s renewal through 2030, the coach addressed the subject at a press conference in Buenos Aires, ahead of Friday’s friendly against Uruguay at La Bombonera.

Scaloni made it clear that, for now, the shirt will not have a new owner. “In this match we won’t give it to anyone. We haven’t thought about who we’ll give it to when it becomes obligatory,” he said, meaning that, at least for this FIFA window, nobody will wear the No. 10.

He did explain, however, what he would like to happen when that moment arrives. “We hope that the day we do it, it’s forever, and that we don’t keep changing it. The idea is to give it to the player who can keep it,” Scaloni said, which suggests that the number will be reserved for a player who can wear it for years, as Messi did.

The obligation comes from FIFA, which requires national teams in official competitions to number their squads consecutively from 1 to 23, so the No. 10 cannot simply be skipped and must be assigned to a specific player. That means Scaloni will eventually have to decide who wears it, although for now he insists the matter is not something that worries him.

Scaloni on life without Messi: ‘I hope he’s happy’

Even without Messi in the squad, his name was present throughout Scaloni’s press conference. When the coach was asked how Argentina will play without him, he was clear about what it means for the team’s identity. “There’s no way to try to play without him; now we’ll try to play a similar game but with different alternatives,” Scaloni said, acknowledging that the style will not change, but the players who carry it out will.

He also admitted that he has not yet discussed his renewal with his former captain. “I haven’t spoken with Leo, I hope he’s happy that we can continue,” Scaloni said, a comment that shows how much of the project still revolves around Messi’s approval.

For the coach, however, the next step is to build on what is already in place. “It’s an advantage that we have players who already know us, but this is football and what matters is that those who come adapt as soon as possible to what we want, which is what this is about: getting to know each other and training together,” he explained.

With the No. 10 shirt still without an owner and Messi’s reaction to his renewal still unknown, Scaloni begins his new cycle on Friday against Uruguay at La Bombonera. The match will be the first real chance to see how Argentina’s style holds up, with younger players and without the player who defined the last era.