For more than a decade, Argentina’s No. 10 wasn’t simply a number.
It was Lionel Messi.
Before Messi, it was Diego Maradona.
And now Argentina has a problem.
What do you do with a shirt that has been worn by two of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen?
Messi has stepped away from international football after more than two decades representing Argentina, leaving behind a career that includes the World Cup, Copa América, Finalissima and a mountain of individual records. The Argentine Football Association itself said the No. 10 will forever be associated with Messi.
But should Argentina actually retire it?
That’s where things get complicated.
Because Argentina may want to preserve Messi’s No. 10 forever.
FIFA may not let them.
And honestly, there is an argument that maybe they shouldn’t.
Messi Didn’t Just Wear the No. 10 — He Changed It
There have been plenty of great No. 10s in football.
Pelé.
Maradona.
Zidane.
Ronaldinho.
Messi.
But Argentina’s No. 10 has a particularly special history.
Maradona turned the shirt into a symbol of Argentine football.
Then Messi inherited it.
For years, every time Messi walked onto the pitch wearing No. 10, comparisons with Maradona followed him.
Could he win Argentina a World Cup?
Could he become the next Maradona?
Could he carry the country?
Eventually, Messi answered those questions himself.
He won the 2022 World Cup.
He won the Copa América.
He won the Finalissima.
And he left Argentina as a world champion and one of the greatest players in football history.
So when people say Argentina should retire the No. 10, they’re not really talking about a number.
They’re talking about closing a chapter of football history.
But Argentina Has Already Tried This Before
Here’s the crazy part.
This isn’t the first time Argentina has wanted to retire the No. 10.
After Maradona’s international career ended, the Argentine Football Association attempted to retire his famous number ahead of the 2002 World Cup.
FIFA rejected the request.
Argentina eventually had to give the No. 10 to Ariel Ortega.
That history matters because Messi has now created exactly the same situation.
Argentina could want the number gone.
Fans could demand it.
The federation could support it.
But FIFA’s tournament regulations create a major obstacle.
And that’s why the question isn’t simply:
“Will Argentina retire Messi’s number?”
The real question is:
“Can Argentina actually retire it?”
FIFA’s Rules Could Decide Messi’s Legacy
Under FIFA tournament rules, national teams have to assign squad numbers within the required sequence.
At the 2026 World Cup, Argentina’s 26-player squad used numbers from 1 through 26, with Messi wearing No. 10.
That means Argentina can’t simply arrive at another World Cup and say:
“Nobody gets No. 10.”
That’s not how the system works.
And Argentina has already learned this lesson.
So even if the AFA wants to permanently preserve Messi’s number, official FIFA competitions could force the shirt back into circulation.
That creates an incredible possibility.
Argentina could protect Messi’s No. 10 in friendlies, ceremonies and other unofficial settings…
But when the World Cup arrives?
Somebody may have to wear it.
And Imagine Being That Player
This is where things get spicy.
Imagine being a 20-year-old Argentine superstar.
You’ve just been selected for your first World Cup.
You walk into the dressing room.
There are jerseys hanging up.
And sitting there is:
No. 10.
Messi’s number.
Maradona’s number.
The shirt worn by the two biggest legends in Argentine football history.
Would you want it?
Or would you run away from it?
Because wearing Argentina’s No. 10 after Messi wouldn’t simply mean wearing a shirt.
It would mean accepting an enormous expectation.
Every bad game would generate comparisons.
Every missed chance would be compared with Messi.
Every great performance would create another question:
“Could this be the next No. 10?”
That’s a ridiculous amount of pressure for any young player.
Maybe Argentina Should Let Someone Else Wear It
Here’s where SportsLoud takes a slightly different position.
As emotional as it sounds, I don’t think Argentina should permanently freeze the No. 10.
And there’s a reason.
Messi didn’t inherit a retired number.
He inherited a legendary number and made it even greater.
Maradona didn’t get to permanently own it either.
He took the number and created history.
Why shouldn’t the next Argentine genius get the same opportunity?
That’s actually a beautiful continuation of the story.
Instead of saying:
“Nobody will ever be good enough for No. 10 again.”
Argentina could say:
“Who’s brave enough to take it?”
The Next No. 10 Would Have an Impossible Job
Of course, whoever eventually wears it will have an impossible comparison.
Imagine Argentina gives it to Nico Paz.
Or Franco Mastantuono.
Or another young star who hasn’t even become famous yet.
The first time that player scores wearing No. 10, social media will explode.
The first time he misses a penalty?
People will ask where Messi was.
The first time he wins a major trophy?
People will ask whether Argentina has found its next great No. 10.
That’s unfair.
But it’s also football.
And perhaps that’s exactly what makes the shirt so special.
Scaloni Isn’t Rushing the Decision
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has already indicated that the No. 10 will remain reserved around Messi’s farewell before a decision is made about who receives it next.
That makes sense.
Argentina doesn’t need to immediately hand the shirt to somebody simply because Messi has stepped away.
The number deserves a moment.
A proper goodbye.
And perhaps a little time.
Because Messi’s departure isn’t just the end of another player’s international career.
It’s the end of one of the greatest eras Argentina has ever experienced.
What If Argentina Never Gives It Away?
This is where things get really interesting.
Suppose Argentina decides to keep No. 10 unofficially reserved whenever possible.
No player gets it for friendlies.
The federation displays Messi’s jersey at its training center.
Fans see the shirt hanging somewhere permanently.
Young players grow up knowing:
That’s Messi’s number.
Even if FIFA eventually forces Argentina to assign No. 10 at a World Cup, the federation could still treat it differently outside the tournament.
That could actually be the perfect compromise.
Argentina doesn’t have to pretend Messi never existed.
And it doesn’t have to prevent the next generation from creating its own history.
But There Is Something Beautiful About Passing It Down
Think about the history.
Maradona → Messi → ?
That’s not a bad story.
Imagine the next player who earns it.
Instead of being asked to replace Messi, he could be told:
“You don’t have to be Messi. You just have to become yourself.”
That’s how legendary numbers survive.
Not by becoming untouchable.
By becoming part of the next generation.
The pressure would be enormous.
But so would the opportunity.
Argentina’s No. 10 Is Bigger Than Messi
This may sound strange considering how strongly the number is associated with him.
But Messi himself didn’t invent Argentina’s No. 10.
He inherited it.
He made it his own.
And that’s important.
The shirt belongs to Argentina.
Not Messi.
Not Maradona.
Not the AFA president.
Not FIFA.
Argentina.
That’s why I think permanently retiring it could actually take something away from the country’s football culture.
The next great Argentine player should at least have the chance to make history in it.
SportsLoud’s Verdict: Don’t Retire It — Make the Next Player Earn It
Here’s where I land.
I don’t think Argentina should permanently retire Messi’s No. 10.
I think they should preserve it for a while.
Honor it.
Celebrate it.
Let Messi’s farewell breathe.
But eventually?
Give it to someone.
And don’t give it away because someone is popular.
Don’t give it to the biggest young name.
Don’t give it to someone because the media says he’s the next Messi.
Make the player earn it.
Because that’s what Messi did.
He didn’t become Messi because someone handed him a magical No. 10 shirt.
He became Messi because he turned the shirt into something nobody could have imagined.
And maybe the next great Argentine footballer deserves the chance to do the same.
There is also something fitting about the fact that FIFA blocked Argentina’s attempt to retire Maradona’s No. 10 years ago. The number eventually went to another player, and then Messi came along and took its meaning to an entirely different level.
So perhaps the story shouldn’t end with Messi.
Perhaps it should continue.
Maradona made No. 10 legendary.
Messi made it immortal.
Now Argentina has to decide whether someone else should be allowed to write the next chapter.
And here’s the question I’d ask every Argentine football fan:
Would you rather see Messi’s No. 10 preserved forever — or see the next Argentine superstar try to make it his own?
Because if Argentina eventually gives that shirt away, the player who puts it on won’t simply be wearing a number.
He’ll be walking into football history.
