Argentina Plans to Retire Lionel Messi’s Iconic Number 10 Jersey After His Retirement, Says Official

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has expressed its intention to retire the number 10 jersey in honor of Lionel Messi, mirroring a previous effort to do the same for the late Diego Maradona. Both Maradona and Messi, renowned as exceptional footballers of their respective eras, famously wore this number.

Following Maradona’s retirement, then-AFA president Julio Grondona and other officials initially decided to reserve the number ten jersey from further use in the national team. However, FIFA’s regulations, which require teams to use jersey numbers from 1 to 23 in major tournaments like the World Cup, did not allow this. Consequently, Ariel Ortega was the last player to wear the number 10 for Argentina in a match against Peru before it was passed on to Messi.

Celebrating Messi’s Achievements
Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in modern history, led Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, defeating France in a dramatic penalty shootout. This triumph solidified Messi’s legacy as a preeminent player of his time.

In recognition of Messi’s contributions, AFA president Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia announced plans to retire the number 10 jersey after Messi’s retirement from international football. Tapia, speaking to an Argentine newspaper, expressed that retiring the jersey is the minimum tribute AFA could offer for Messi’s significant impact on the country’s football.

Messi’s storied career with Argentina includes winning the Copa America in 2021, and over 180 appearances for the national team, scoring 106 goals. Currently, Messi continues his professional career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.