The reason Argentina cannot retire Lionel Messi's jersey

Messi's farewell match raises the question of whether anyone will ever wear the number 10 jersey again. FIFA regulations require consecutive numbers from 1 to 26 in official tournaments, making it impossible to retire the number. A similar request to retire Maradona's jersey was rejected in the past. Nico Paz and Mastantuono are candidates to inherit the jersey.

Lionel Messi's historic farewell match for the Argentina national team tonight (Tuesday) against Benin at the Monumental Stadium raises the question once again: will anyone ever wear the number 10 jersey again? The regulatory answer is that retiring the number remains a dream. FIFA's strict rules for official tournaments require consecutive numbers from 1 to 26 in a 26-player squad. In the past, Argentina attempted to retire the jersey in memory of Maradona ahead of the 2002 World Cup, but FIFA rejected the request. The only possibility is to leave the number unused in friendly matches. Coach Scaloni clarified that it will take time to decide on a successor. Natural candidates include Nico Paz, Franco Mastantuono, and Alexis Mac Allister.