Lionel Messi's No.10 Argentina jersey set to be retired

Lionel Messi has played 180 matches for Argentina and netted in 106 goals and led Argentina to the FIFA World Cup title in December 2022 in Qatar.

The Argentina Football Association is set to retire Lionel Messi's No.10 jersey, once he calls time on his international career. The announcement was made by association president Claudio Tapia, who said the nobody would be allowed to wear the jersey and it was the least they could do for the World Cup winning forward.

"When Messi retires from the national team, we will not allow anyone else to wear the number 10 after him. his number 10 will be retired for life in his honor. It’s the least we can do for him," Tapia said in a press conference.

This, however, won't be the first time that Argentina have tried to retire the no.10 jersey. In 2002, they had tried to retire the no.10 jersey in the honour of Diego Maradona, who also wore the same number on his jersey.

But FIFA rules, at the time, mandated teams to wear all numbers from one to 23 during that World Cup, held in Korea and Japan, which did not allow the federation to retire the number 10 jersey.

In December, the Inter Miami forward had said that he was not looking beyond the 2024 Copa America and added that time would tell if he made to the World Cup in 2026.

"As long as I feel good and I can continue to deliver, I'm going to do it (continue playing with Argentina). All I'm thinking about today is getting to the Copa America and being able to play in it," Messi told ESPN.

Messi has played 180 matches for his country and netted in 106 goals and led Argentina to the FIFA World Cup title in December 2022 in Qatar.