Argentina can’t retire Messi’s iconic number 10 because of the same FIFA rule that stopped them from honoring Maradona in 2002

Argentina cannot retire Messi’s iconic No.10 as FIFA requires each World Cup team number from 1 to 26 to be assigned/ Image: file Lionel Messi’s retirement from international football has left Argentina with an almost impossible question to answer: what will happen to the No.10 shirt now? For many supporters, the obvious answer is to leave forever. Messi wore it for two decades, becoming Argentina’s most capped player and all-time top scorer, turning the jersey into one of the most recognizable symbols of world football. But Argentina tried this before when Diego Maradona was honoured, and FIFA stopped it. More than two decades later, the same regulation stands in the way of Messi being awarded the highest honor.

Argentina also wanted to retire Maradona’s No.10

The idea of ​​Argentina’s No.10 retiring is not new, and its strongest precedent comes from another of the country’s football icons.On September 25, 2001, the Argentine Football Association unanimously voted to retire the No. 10 jersey in Maradona’s honor at the initiative of then-president Julio Grondona.

A pedestrian carries a bucket past graffiti depicting the late soccer legend Diego Maradona in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

The plan was to put the decision into effect before the 2002 World Cup, and at the time it appeared to be decided. The Argentinian newspaper Olé even published on the front page the statement: “It is God’s will.”But there was one problem: FIFA had its own rules governing the number of teams in its tournaments.FIFA rejected Argentina’s request, meaning the number 10 cannot simply disappear from the World Cup squad. Ariel “El Burrito” Ortega finally pulled on the Argentina jersey at the 2002 tournament, becoming the player who most notably wore the famous number between the Maradona and Messi eras.The significance of this episode has returned now that Messi has retired from the national team.This time it is not Maradona’s name attached to the request. It belongs to Messi.

Why won’t FIFA let Argentina retire the jersey?

The obstacle is not a lack of willingness on the part of Argentina. It is the numbering system used by FIFA in its official tournaments.According to Marcy, FIFA regulations require tournament squad lists for competitions such as the World Cup and Copa America to use consecutive numbers from 1 to 26. Therefore, each player selected for the 26-man squad must have a number, none may be omitted.This makes it impossible for #10 to retire in the official tournament.Argentina could want to keep the number intact, supporters could overwhelmingly support the idea, and the Argentine Football Association could decide that no one should wear it again, but regulations would still require the number 10 to be assigned to someone when a team enters a tournament governed by FIFA’s squad size rules.

Argentina superfan Miloslav Urbanec shows off his statue of Diego Maradona on the day of the World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and England in the village of Bukovka, Czech Republic, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

In other words, Argentina cannot simply field a 26-man squad with numbers 1 to 9 and 11 to 27, or leave number 10 blank as a permanent tribute to Messi. The numbering requirement creates a direct conflict with the idea of ​​permanently retiring the shirt.That’s exactly what happened to Maradona.So the regulation means that Messi’s number 10 can be treated differently in friendlies where Argentina might choose not to use the number, but that will change once the national team enters the official tournament.Must read: Argentina are ready to hand Messi’s iconic No.10 shirt to the 21-year-old star if Scaloni stays

Messi’s number 10 is impossible to separate from his legacy

The desire to retire is understandable, as Messi has done much more than inherit Maradona’s number.He wore the No.10 for Argentina for roughly two decades and leaves the national team as its all-time leading goalscorer and most capped player. His international career also changed the meaning of the shirt for the next generation of Argentina supporters, just as Maradona had done before him.That’s why the debate isn’t really about who deserves to wear the number next. The point is whether anyone should wear it at all.The Argentine Football Association has previously expressed a clear desire to retire the shirt once Messi ends his international career.In 2024, AFA President Claudio Tapia said so Sport: “The number 10 national team shirt will be retired when Messi ends his international career.”Tapia’s comments clarified the association’s intent, but the practical issue has always been FIFA’s tournament regulations.The situation leaves Argentina with an unusual compromise. No. 10 could effectively be reserved as Messi’s number whenever the team plays certain friendlies, allowing the association and fans to honor him without giving the shirt to another player.But when the next World Cup or Copa America comes around, that number cannot simply be erased from Argentina’s roster.Someone will have to wear it.Must read: Argentina are ready to hand Messi’s iconic No.10 shirt to the 21-year-old star if Scaloni stays

The next No. 10 will inherit a shirt like no other

Argentina thus faces another difficult question: if the number 10 cannot be dropped, who will take it?Messi’s successor will inevitably inherit a shirt that carries both his and Maradona’s weight. It’s one thing to wear number 10 for Argentina; another is to wear the number that belonged to two of the best footballers in the country.Several names could enter the conversation, including Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, Thiago Almada and Nico Paz.According to ESPN Argentina insider Federico Buena, Argentina have an internal plan to move Paz to No.10 if Lionel Scaloni renews his contract as head coach, with negotiations expected to take place in the coming months.For now, however, the immediate reality is simpler: Messi’s No.10 cannot be permanently removed from Argentina’s official tournament squad.Maradona’s Argentina tried in 2001 and FIFA said no. More than 20 years later, the same rule means Messi’s shirt will suffer the same fate.