FIFA squad-number regulations mean Argentina cannot permanently remove the legendary No. 10 shirt from its tournament numbering system as Lionel Messi prepares to bid farewell to international football.

Argentina’s plan to permanently retire Lionel Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt has run into FIFA regulations requiring national teams to assign squad numbers within a specified range during international tournaments.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) had reportedly planned to honour Messi by leaving the No. 10 shirt unused following his retirement from international football.

However, FIFA’s competition regulations mean Argentina cannot permanently remove the number from its squad-numbering system for tournaments where the applicable squad-number range includes No. 10.

For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for instance, Argentina’s squad list included Messi as the team’s No. 10.

Messi announced his retirement from international football on August 31 following Argentina’s 2026 World Cup campaign.
He is set to make a farewell appearance for the national team against Benin on October 6 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has yet to reveal who will inherit the famous shirt.
Scaloni said the team would not need to assign the number immediately and would wait until after Messi’s farewell before deciding who will take over the iconic jersey.

Messi leaves international football as Argentina’s record appearance holder and all-time leading scorer, with 207 appearances and 125 goals. He also guided Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title and the 2026 World Cup final.

The situation is not without precedent. FIFA tournament regulations have previously required national teams to use designated squad numbers even when a country sought to retire a particular number in honour of a legendary player.

As a result, while Argentina can honour Messi in several ways, FIFA’s tournament rules prevent the AFA from permanently withdrawing the No. 10 from its official squad-numbering system where the regulations require its use.