Lionel Messi is about to play his final international for Argentina, but the number 10 shirt he has worn since 2009 won't be vanishing from football pitches. FIFA's rules make sure of that.
Messi, 39, lines up for his 208th and last cap against Benin on Tuesday at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires. His is a historic career, one that saw him lead Argentina to glory at the 2022 World Cup and to two Copa América titles.
Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association, wanted to retire the number 10 as a tribute to Messi, keeping it off the backs of future players once he steps away from international football, according to French website "Foot Mercato".
That wish runs straight into FIFA's regulations. Teams at major tournaments must assign numbers 1 to 26 to their players, which makes it impossible to leave the number 10 off the list at the World Cup or the Copa América.
Argentina can leave the shirt vacant in some friendlies. In official international tournaments, though, they'll have to hand it to one of their players, according to Foot Mercato.
So, despite Messi's departure, the number 10 will be back for Argentina at the 2030 World Cup and the Copa América. Another player will take on the burden of carrying the shirt tied for so long to the legend of Argentine football.