Argentina to leave iconic No. 10 shirt vacant for Messi's farewell match | OneFootball

The Argentine Football Association announced it will leave the No. 10 shirt vacant during the September and October windows, a tribute to Lionel Messi before his farewell. The legendary forward is set to wear it one final time against Benin at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental on 6 October.

No player will take the No. 10 for the upcoming friendlies against Bolivia and Burkina Faso, with a decision on the shirt’s next occupant to follow only after Messi has concluded his international career.

Argentina face Bolivia in Córdoba on 30 September, then host Burkina Faso on 3 October. Messi will not feature in those matches, with the focus kept on his goodbye.

The grand finale arrives on 6 October at the Monumental, where Messi is due to win his 208th and final cap, offering a partisan Buenos Aires crowd a last chance to see their icon in national colours.

The gesture follows Messi’s late August 2026 announcement that he will step away from international duty after a historic career that culminated in leading his country to global success. While FIFA numbering rules typically require consecutive squads at major tournaments, the flexibility afforded in friendlies enables this tribute.

AFA president Claudio Tapia had previously suggested in 2024 that the shirt could be retired once Messi’s national-team career officially ends.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”