Argentina won’t allow anyone to wear Lionel Messi’s No. 10 jersey: ‘Least we can do for him’

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has decided to retire the iconic No. 10 jersey. The announcement comes from AFA president Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia who spoke to a local newspaper. This honour, reserved for Lionel Messi, comes after the national team's victory in the FIFA World Cup 2022.

"When Messi retires from the national team, we will not allow anyone else to wear the number 10 after him. This number '10' will be retired for life in his honour. It's the least we can do for him," Marca quoted Tapia as telling the publication.

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The No. 10 jersey is well-known for representing the best players and leaders in football. In Argentina, this number is especially famous and has a strong history. It has always been worn by great players who have taken their teams to great success. Juan Román Riquelme and Ricardo Bochini were among the Argentine footballers who wore the No. 10.

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Messi has played 180 times and scored 106 goals for Argentina. His big wins include the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022. These victories put him in the same league as famous players like Maradona and Pele.

AFA wanted to retire No. 10 for Maradona

The AFA thought about retiring the No. 10 jersey before. In the 2002 World Cup, they wanted to retire it to honour Maradona.

The plan to retire the No. 10 jersey for Maradona couldn't happen because of FIFA rules. These rules said teams must use numbers 1 to 23. So, Ariel Ortega wore the No. 10 in a match against Peru. Later, when Messi became a great player, he got the No. 10 jersey because the plan to retire it didn't work out.