FIFA blocks Argentina’s plan to retire Lionel Messi’s No.10 shirt

FIFA regulations have blocked Argentina’s plan to retire Lionel Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt.

The Argentine Football Association had wanted to honour Messi by permanently withdrawing the number from use after his farewell appearance for the national team. However, FIFA’s squad-numbering rules require teams to assign numbers within the prescribed range during major international tournaments.

The regulations mean Argentina cannot simply remove the No. 10 from its squad list for competitions such as the World Cup when the tournament rules require every number in the applicable squad range to be assigned.

Messi announced on August 31 that he would retire from international football after more than two decades with Argentina.

The Inter Miami forward is expected to make his farewell appearance before the Argentine public on October 6, when the country faces Benin in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

Messi, who has 207 international appearances and 125 goals, has worn Argentina’s No. 10 shirt throughout much of his international career.