Retirement: FIFA rule blocks Argentina from paying special tribute to Messi

FIFA has blocked Argentina from paying Lionel Messi a special tribute following his retirement from football.

DAILY POST reported that the Argentine Football Association had announced that no player in the national team would wear the number 10 jersey.

However, the football governing body’s regulations make this action infeasible.

Messi declared his retirement from international football on August 31, concluding an exceptional career spanning more than 20 years.

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The Inter Miami forward will formally bid farewell to Argentine supporters on October 6 during a friendly match against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

Following the occasion, Argentina intended to permanently retire the prestigious number 10 jersey.

Messi has accumulated 207 international appearances and scored 125 goals. Additionally, he guided his nation to the World Cup final for the third consecutive time in 2026, where Spain demonstrated superior performance and secured a 1-0 victory.

FIFA’s rules, however, are an insurmountable obstacle for Argentina. During international final tournaments, teams must assign squad numbers from 1 to 26, which means they cannot permanently retire a number within that range.

Liberia encountered a similar obstacle. The nation had retired the number 14 jersey in recognition of George Weah. However, during the qualification process for the 2026 World Cup, Nicholas Andrews was required to wear it due to FIFA requirements.

To date, manager Lionel Scaloni has not disclosed who will assume Messi’s number.

“We are not required to assign it for forthcoming matches, so we will allocate it to no one until after Leo’s farewell match. We have simply not yet determined who,” stated the 48-year-old manager.

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