Argentina cannot retire Lionel Messi’s number 10 because of FIFA rules

Lionel Messi is set to make his final appearance for Argentina on Tuesday, but the number 10 shirt he has worn since 2009 will remain in international football because of FIFA regulations.

The 39-year-old will win his 208th and final cap when Argentina face Benin at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. Messi leaves international football as a World Cup winner, having led Argentina to the 2022 title, as well as two Copa America triumphs.

Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association, had expressed a desire to retire the number 10 shirt in tribute to Messi. The proposal would have prevented another Argentina player from wearing the number after Messi’s international retirement, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.

However, FIFA rules require national teams competing in major tournaments to assign squad numbers from 1 to 26. That requirement means Argentina cannot permanently remove the number 10 from its squad for competitions such as the World Cup or Copa America.

Argentina could leave the shirt unused for some friendly matches, but it would have to allocate the number to one of its players when taking part in official international tournaments, Foot Mercato reported.

As a result, the number 10 will return to Argentina’s squad after Messi’s departure. Another player will wear it at the 2030 World Cup and Copa America, taking on a shirt that has been closely associated with one of the country’s greatest footballers for many years.