Will Argentina retire No. 10 jersey after Messi retirement?

Over a 21-year career, Messi has wowed admirers plenty of times, many of those moments coming while donning the famed No. 10 jersey.  | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Lionel Messi bid farewell to international football after he played for Argentina one last time during Tuesday’s friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires.

The left-footed magician had announced his retirement from La Albiceleste colours in late August, nearly a month after Argentina lost to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

Over a 21-year career, Messi has wowed admirers plenty of times, many of those moments coming while donning the famed No. 10 jersey. But will the Argentine Football Association be able to retire the shirt number in honour of the legend?

Can Argentina retire No. 10 jersey after Messi retirement?

As per guidelines during FIFA and other tournaments under the confederations (like AFC, UEFA, etc.), national sides are required to designate consecutive numbers to the members of the squad. For instance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a squad was made up of 26 players. This meant that players had to wear shirt numbers ranging from 1 to 26.

Going by this rule, Argentina cannot retire the No. 10 jersey after Messi’s final match against Benin.

In the past, the Argentinian federation had approached FIFA with the prospect of retiring the No. 10 jersey in honour another legend, Diego Maradona, but it was rejected ahead of the 2002 World Cup. In that edition, it was Ariel Ortega who donned the shirt.

However, these jersey rules aren’t that stringent during friendlies, which means the Argentina federation could choose to keep the No. 10 jersey aside on those occasions.