Following Lionel Messi’s emotional international retirement after Argentina’s recent fixtures, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) expressed its desire to permanently retire the famous No. 10 shirt in recognition of his unparalleled legacy.
However, strict governing regulations enforced by world football’s governing body prevent national teams from removing squad numbers during official competitions. Tournament guidelines for major events such as the FIFA World Cup and Copa América mandate that participating federations submit squads with contiguous numbering running continuously from 1 to the maximum roster limit, typically 26. Leaving a number vacant would force Argentina to forfeit a valuable squad slot, leaving them short on their official registration.
The Historic Precedent of Diego Maradona in 2002
This administrative barrier is not a new hurdle for the Argentine federation. Ahead of the 2002 FIFA World Cup hosted in South Korea and Japan, the AFA submitted an official petition to retire the No. 10 jersey to honour the legendary Diego Maradona. FIFA rejected the request, upholding its universal numbering structure and compelling Argentina to assign the shirt to midfielder Ariel Ortega. Governing authorities maintain that national shirt numbers belong to the official tournament framework rather than individual legacy claims, ensuring uniform compliance across all participating nations.
Potential Workarounds for Unofficial Fixtures
While Argentina cannot permanently erase the No. 10 from FIFA tournament roster lists without facing sanctions, the federation retains procedural flexibility during unofficial international windows. Head coach Lionel Scaloni and the AFA can choose to leave the No. 10 shirt unallocated during friendly matches or non-competitive training camps, mirroring previous temporary measures during Messi’s past absences. Nevertheless, when competitive qualifiers or official continental championships resume, another Argentine player will ultimately be required to wear the iconic jersey on the pitch.