Lionel Messi left a vacant shirt and a tactical puzzle in Buenos Aires when he retired from international football in early October 2026, leaving Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni uncertain about who should inherit the team’s most famous number.
The Albiceleste opened a new era without their long-serving captain during a training camp at the Argentine Football Association complex in Ezeiza. Scaloni prepared a 28-man squad for November friendlies against Uruguay at La Bombonera and Costa Rica in Córdoba.
🚨 BREAKING: Argentina’s coaching staff are considering two players to take over Lionel Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt: Nico Paz and Lautaro Martínez. @ESPNArgentina 🧨🧨 pic.twitter.com/LOadW6vqeO
Argentina left the iconic No. 10 jersey entirely unassigned for the match against Uruguay. FIFA regulations require official tournament squads to register numbers sequentially from 1 to 23, meaning the national team cannot permanently retire the number for competitive fixtures under governing body rules.
Scaloni explained the decision to keep the shirt untouched for the friendly fixtures while addressing reporters in Buenos Aires.
“In this match we will not give it to anyone. We haven’t thought about who we will give that number to when it becomes mandatory,” said Lionel Scaloni, Argentina head coach, told World Soccer Talk.”
Scaloni also outlined his long-term preference for the famous jersey once the federation assigns it permanently.
“We hope that the day we do it, it will be forever, and we don’t keep changing it. The idea is to give it to a player who can sustain it,” Scaloni told World Soccer Talk.”
ESPN Argentina reported that the coaching staff narrowed their initial shortlist to two primary candidates currently playing in Italy’s Serie A: Lautaro Martínez and Nico Paz. Tribratanews said that both players offer contrasting profiles for the national team.
Martínez brings veteran experience and a proven record in major moments, having scored the decisive extra-time goal in the 2024 Copa América final against Colombia after Messi departed with an injury, according to Tribratanews. Paz represents a younger option at 22 years old who wears the No. 10 shirt as a primary playmaker for Como in Italy, as reported by Tribratanews.
Atlético Madrid forward Julián Alvarez remains an important attacking figure within Scaloni’s tactical framework.
Alongside the squad selection, Scaloni appeared alongside AFA President Claudio Tapia at Ezeiza to announce his contract extension with the Argentine federation through 2030. The head coach emphasized that settling the jersey debate remains secondary to team preparation as the squad transitions past the Messi era.
“When it does have to be determined, we will see who deserves it. However, it is not something that worries me or is a very important matter,” Scaloni said, according to TyC Sports.”
Argentina faces Costa Rica in Córdoba on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, as the squad continues its November fixtures without assigning the disputed shirt.
Related reading
