Lionel Messi has officially retired from international football, but Argentina will not be permitted to retire his iconic No. 10 shirt, due to strict FIFA squad numbering regulations.
Messi played his final match for Argentina on Tuesday night, a 3-0 friendly victory over Benin in Buenos Aires. During the match, play was stopped in the 10th minute as the entire 85,000-seater stadium gave the legendary forward a standing ovation.
FIFA Squad Numbering Rules
FIFA regulations for major competitive tournaments, such as the World Cup and official confederation championships, require national teams to register squads using consecutive numbers from 1 up to the total squad limit, typically 1 to 26. Every number in that designated range must be assigned to an active player, meaning national associations are not allowed to leave numerical gaps or withhold specific squad numbers.
Precedent With Diego Maradona in 2002
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) previously attempted to retire the No. 10 jersey following Diego Maradona's international retirement ahead of the 2002 World Cup. FIFA rejected the request and mandated that Argentina submit a squad numbered sequentially 1 through 23, forcing the team to reassign the shirt to Ariel Ortega.
Club vs. International Rules
In club football, leagues such as Serie A, the Premier League, and Major League Soccer allow teams to permanently retire shirt numbers in honour of legendary players or tragedies. Napoli famously retired Maradona's No. 10 shirt, and AC Milan retired Paolo Maldini's No. 3. International governing bodies, however, maintain strict standardised registration rules that restrict national sides from doing the same.
Future Succession Dilemma
While Argentina can leave the No. 10 vacant during unofficial friendlies as a symbolic gesture, this flexibility disappears once official squad lists are submitted for the World Cup, Copa America, or qualifiers. The number cannot be permanently retired, so Argentina will eventually be forced to pass the shirt to another squad member. Young prospects such as Thiago Almada or Alexis Mac Allister have been mentioned as potential successors to wear the No. 10 post-Messi.
