The retirement of Messi's number 10: an old idea... that clashes with FIFA rules
In Argentina, many voices are being raised advocating that that jersey number no longer be used
Lionel Messi will be irreplaceable, as everyone knows in Argentina and the rest of the world. That is why his legendary number 10 shirt is now waiting for someone who can bear the historical weight of that number, something very complicated. Nico Paz, Mac Allister, Enzo, Almada...?
That is why, in Argentina, as already happened with Diego Maradona, there are many voices advocating for that number to be retired from circulation. That the star be paid tribute to (which is going to happen no matter what), and that Argentina never again play with the 10 on its back. But... what many want is not so easy to carry out.
We go back to 2024, the year in which Claudio Tapia, president of the AFA, announced, in an interview with "Sport", this: "The national team's No. 10 will be retired when Leo ends his international career" . Therefore, the AFA's desire seems clear.
But, we insist, it is not that easy, since FIFA rules categorically prevent a shirt number from disappearing in its competitions (friendlies would be a different matter). FIFA requires the numbering in a World Cup, for example, to run from 1 to 26, without leaving out any shirt number. Hence Argentina's wish clashes with FIFA.
This dream of the majority of Argentinians also runs into a precedent: that of Diego Maradona. On September 25, 2001, the AFA, at the initiative of its then president Julio Grondona, voted unanimously to retire the number 10 in honor of Diego. It was meant to happen before the 2002 World Cup . The matter was considered so settled that the newspaper "Olé" headlined on its front page: “It Will Be God’s Will.” It was done. The 10 was going to be retired.
But no: FIFA prevented it and it was Ariel "El Burrito" Ortega who wore the 10 at that World Cup and the player who wore it the most times between the eras of Diego and Leo Messi.
Anyway, we'll see what happens. What seems clear -since they are friendlies they can do it- is that no one will wear it in the friendlies (still to be confirmed) that Argentina will play in September-October. It will be the time to pay tribute to number 10 Leo.
