Argentina’s plan to permanently retire Lionel Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt has been blocked by FIFA regulations governing squad numbers at major international tournaments.
The Argentine Football Association had wanted to honour Messi by ensuring that no future player would wear the number after his retirement from international football.
However, FIFA rules require teams competing in tournaments such as the World Cup and Copa América to assign squad numbers within the prescribed range, meaning Argentina cannot permanently leave the No. 10 shirt vacant during those competitions.
A similar situation occurred when Argentina attempted to retire the No. 10 shirt in honour of Diego Maradona before the 2002 World Cup. FIFA rejected the request, and Ariel Ortega eventually wore the number at the tournament.
Argentina can, however, leave the No. 10 shirt unused in certain friendly matches and qualifiers.
Messi, who wore the No. 10 shirt for Argentina for most of his international career, announced his retirement from the national team in August after more than two decades with the country. The AFA has described the shirt as permanently associated with his legacy.
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