The Argentina Football Association has unveiled its intention to retire Lionel Messi’s revered No.10 jersey once the football maestro decides to conclude his international career. In a recent press conference, association president Claudio Tapia declared that nobody else would be permitted to don the iconic jersey, considering it a fitting tribute to the World Cup-winning forward.
“When Messi decides to retire from the national team, we will uphold a tradition of not assigning the number 10 to any other player after him. His No.10 will be retired for life as a mark of honor. It’s the least we can do for him,” Tapia expressed during the announcement.
This proposed retirement of the No.10 jersey is not the first instance for Argentina. Back in 2002, there was a similar attempt to retire the No.10 jersey in homage to the legendary Diego Maradona, who also adorned the same number during his playing days. However, FIFA regulations at that time, stipulating teams to wear numbers from one to 23 during the World Cup in Korea and Japan, prevented the federation from officially retiring the coveted No.10 jersey.