By Enitan Abdultawab
Lionel Messi may have ended his international career, but Argentina will not be able to permanently withdraw the iconic No. 10 shirt because of FIFA’s regulations on squad numbers.
Messi confirmed his decision to step away from international football on August 31, two days after Argentina lost the 2026 FIFA World Cup final to Spain.
Although his retirement had been widely anticipated, the announcement officially brought the curtain down on a remarkable international career that saw him win the World Cup in 2022.
The Argentina Football Association had previously expressed its desire to retire the No. 10 shirt in honour of Messi. AFA president Claudio Tapia said as far back as 2014 that the number would be retired once the legendary forward ended his international career.
