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Argentina blocked from honouring Lionel Messi due to FIFA rules
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At the end of August, Lionel Messi confirmed his international retirement from Argentina.
He announced his departure from the national team in a statement which read:
"Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team.
"I've given it my all, I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some really great young players coming through behind me who deserve their chance."
Earlier that August, he suggested he could retire soon following the death of his father, Jorge.
It was confirmed, then, that Messi would retire as Argentina's greatest ever goalscorer, assist-maker and appearance-maker.
But, he would be allowed one final farewell in a friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires.
Argentina won that game 3-0 and in typical Messi fashion he had a hand in all three goals - he assisted the first two and scored a penalty. In the 10th minute, play was stopped as the entire crowd in the Estadio Monumental gave him a standing ovation.
The South American nation remains keen to honour Messi in any way they can and that includes retiring his number 10 shirt, which, of course, was previously worn by Diego Maradona.
However, due to FIFA regulations, Argentina won't be allowed to retire the number.
For every major tournament under FIFA's banner, they require consecutive squad numbers to be allocated to every player in the squad. For example, at the 2026 World Cup, each nation had 26 players and so every number from one to 26 needed to be allocated.
Argentina can retire the number 10 for international friendlies, but in competitive competitions, one player will need to take Messi's number 10 shirt
Messi's retirement speech
Following the 3-0 win against Benin, Messi spoke to the crowd and delivered an emotional speech, which you can read in full below:
“I have nothing left to do but thank this shirt. For 20 years, even through the worst moments, I never stopped fighting, pushing forward, giving everything I had and wanting to be here.
“Not coming here anymore and no longer being with the Argentina National Team is going to hurt a lot. If it were up to me, I would love to be here for my entire life, because playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing there is.
“I think I’m talking more than ever today because I simply don’t want this moment to end.
“But I think the time has come for me to retire. The last World Cup took a lot out of us after everything we went through. We arrived in the final with just enough left in us, but we fought until the very end, like we always did. We came very close to winning it again, and despite everything that was said about us, nothing strange happened. The match against England took a lot out of us because we gave absolutely everything.
"In 2022, we had the dream of fulfilling not only my dream, but the dream of an entire country: becoming world champions again. And we did it. We won the World Cup, the Copa America, the Finalissima… I’m incredibly grateful for everything I experienced with this National Team.
“But this journey wasn’t only about 2022 or this last World Cup. So many teammates fought alongside me for this shirt long before we finally became world champions. Never doubt how much every one of them fought and gave for Argentina. It was a privilege and an honour to share the pitch with all of my teammates and to share so much of our lives together away from football. Every time we stepped onto the pitch, I knew we could compete against anyone because I had warriors beside me who were willing to leave absolutely everything out there.
“To achieve the biggest things, you need a strong group. And it’s during the most difficult moments that you truly discover what kind of team you have. That’s one of the biggest reasons we were able to achieve everything we did.
“And especially to this group: Thank you. They helped me fulfil the dream I had since I was a child. They helped me become a world champion. I also want to thank the people. I was lucky enough to play in so many cities across Argentina, and everywhere I went, I received an incredible amount of love.
“Here, in this stadium, I experienced one of the happiest days of my life: our first match at home after becoming world champions. It was beautiful. And today might be one of the saddest because I’m standing here saying goodbye. I’m going to miss all of you so much, but I’ll always be on your side. I’ll be supporting these boys and everyone who comes after them.
“There are so many emotions today, but the first person I think about is my father.
“There are so many emotions going through me right now. I’m surely forgetting many things I would like to say because this is a very difficult moment for me. The first person who comes to my mind is my dad. I’m going to miss playing here so much. I love you all, and I’m proud to be Argentine.
“I leave grateful, proud and at peace. Thank you for everything.”
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