Argentina is preparing for a different kind of international window. Lionel Messi has stepped away from the national team after a farewell match against Benin, and with him goes the player who carried the most iconic number in Albiceleste history for two decades. The question now is what happens to the shirt he leaves behind, and whether it can be put away for good.
According to Argentine outlet TyC Sports, Messi’s No.10 will not be used by any other player in the upcoming international break. The decision was made by head coach Lionel Scaloni, who is waiting to pick the “next” number 10 for Argentina.
The gesture is possible because the November matches are friendlies, where FIFA does not require squads to use consecutive numbers. That allows Scaloni to leave the shirt untouched for now, a symbolic tribute to the player who retired as the national team’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player.
The answer for official competition, however, is different. FIFA rules require World Cup and Copa America squad lists to use consecutive numbers from 1 to 26, with a number assigned to every player on the roster. That means Argentina cannot leave the No.10 unused or retire it for official tournaments, no matter how symbolic the gesture would be.
Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina during the 2026 World Cup. (Getty Images)
The Diego Maradona precedent
This is not the first time Argentina has run into this wall. Ahead of the 2002 World Cup, the AFA tried to retire the No.10 as a tribute to Diego Maradona, whose career had already turned the shirt into much more than a number. The federation even proposed a squad numbered up to 24 that would skip the No.10, but FIFA rejected the request, citing the consecutive-numbering rule.
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As a result, the shirt kept being worn by later generations of Argentine players, with Ariel Ortega wearing it in 2002, until it eventually reached Messi. With the same regulation still in place, any renewed push to retire it in his honor would face the same outcome.
Who could inherit the No.10?
The bigger question will arrive when Argentina returns to official competition: who takes the shirt next? Nico Paz is the name most often mentioned, as the Como 1907 playmaker operates in a similar position to Messi and wears the same number at his club. The doubt is whether a 22-year-old can handle the weight of that number so early in his international career.
His performances this season suggest he can. Paz has been one of the standouts of the 2026-27 campaign, with six goals and eight assists in 13 appearances across Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.
Nico Paz celebrates a goal for Como 1907. (Getty Images)
Still, Argentina has other options. Some believe the shirt might be better suited to a proven World Cup winner, with Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez floated as alternatives who already have the pedigree and experience to carry that responsibility. For now, Scaloni appears in no rush: by leaving the shirt without an owner, he buys time before making one of the most symbolic decisions of the new era.
