Football legend Lionel Messi is set to receive a special honor from the Argentina Football Association (AFA), marking his incredible contributions to Argentinian football. Reports indicate that AFA plans to retire the iconic number ’10’ jersey in Messi’s honor. According to AFA president Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia, he stated in an interview, “When Messi retires from the national team, we will not allow anyone else to wear the number 10 after him. This number ’10’ will be retired for life in his honor. It’s the least we can do for him.”
Messi recently achieved a lifelong dream by leading Argentina to victory in the World Cup, silencing critics who doubted his ability to secure major international titles. Under the management of Lionel Scaloni, Argentina built a formidable team, losing only one game in the group stage of the World Cup Qualifiers.
The decision to retire the ’10’ jersey is a rare and significant gesture, demonstrating the profound impact Messi has had on Argentinian football. A similar attempt was made in 2002 to retire the number in honor of the late Diego Maradona, but FIFA regulations requiring teams to use numbers from 1 to 23 prevented the retirement.
Messi’s remarkable run includes winning the Copa America, the Finnallissima, and the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Despite announcing his retirement from the World Cup after the historic win, Messi continues to play for Argentina in other competitions. His last appearance was in the World Cup Qualifiers match against Brazil, securing a 1-0 victory.
Currently recovering from injuries during his time off after Inter Miami’s early elimination, Messi remains a key player for Argentina. The Copa America could potentially be his last tournament, as he expressed a desire to play moreav games as a ‘Champion’ after winning the World Cup. However, Messi’s future with the Albicelestes is uncertain, leaving fans eager to witness the continuation of his legendary career in international football.