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Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has reportedly whittled down his shortlist of candidates to inherit Lionel Messi's iconic No. 10 shirt to two names: veteran striker Lautaro Martínez or rising talent Nico Paz.
Replicating Messi's impact, production, or influence on the national side is virtually unthinkable. "To become Messi, you need to win both the genetic lottery and the social lottery," former Argentina World Cup champion Jorge Valdano once famously remarked.
Scaloni will need to reshape his squad to collectively fill the void Messi leaves behind, but there is one—theoretically more straightforward—decision to make in a literal sense: Who inherits his No. 10 shirt?
Donning those famous digits is both an honor and a heavy burden, especially when the last person to wear them is widely regarded as your country's greatest footballer ever. Nonetheless, that responsibility is set to fall on either Paz or Martínez, according to ESPN Argentina.
The two represent contrasting approaches; Scaloni could lean on the generation that has delivered so much glory over the past five years. It was Martínez who netted the decisive goal in the 2024 Copa América final after Messi was forced off with injury, helping Argentina secure its fourth consecutive trophy—a run the Inter Milan skipper was central to throughout.
Like Martínez, Paz also wears the No. 10 at his Serie A club, acting as the creative engine behind Como's dynamic attacking play. The 22-year-old received his first international call-up in 2024 and has gradually worked his way into the setup. After a limited role at last summer's World Cup, Paz found the net in each of Argentina's first three post-tournament matches, including one memorably set up by his idol.
"The first time I watched him play, I was completely captivated," Paz has said of Messi. "My father and I used to wonder whether there would ever be enough time for me to one day share a pitch with him. It seemed almost impossible, but ultimately, fate—or God—allowed that dream to become reality. I'm incredibly grateful I got to live that moment." Now he could take the ultimate step of wearing his hero's number.
Why Can't Argentina Retire Messi's No. 10 Jersey?
Another option being floated is the possibility of Scaloni simply leaving the No. 10 shirt unassigned. While such a move is permitted in friendlies, the regulations are far more rigid when it comes to major international competitions.
FIFA mandates that each nation must assign sequential numbers to every player in their tournament squad, with no exceptions. At the 2026 World Cup, for instance, each 26-man roster was required to use numbers one through 26.
The last player not named Lionel Messi to wear the No. 10 for Argentina at a major international tournament was the legendary Juan Román Riquelme at the 2007 Copa América, further cementing the storied legacy of a number long held sacred in Argentine football.
Why Is the No. 10 So Important in Argentina?
The No. 10 is beloved by creative players the world over, but no nation reveres it quite like Argentina. In the country's pursuit of a distinct footballing identity separate from the structured European game, there emerged a desire to celebrate a uniquely expressive figure—the sporting embodiment of the gauchos who defined that spirit of Argentinidad—Argentinian-ness. That figure would wear the No. 10.
"We all felt we were a little different as players," Messi once reflected. "Even if we weren't, we all dreamed of wearing No. 10 from a young age. It's always been a special shirt, without question."
• The Best No. 10s in Soccer History—Past and Present
It helped that the finest player on the pitch almost always wore the No. 10, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of reverence. For the 1978 World Cup squad, Argentina assigned shirt numbers alphabetically. Midfielder Ossie Ardiles drew No. 1, and by chance, star forward Mario Kempes landed on No. 10. When a young Diego Maradona made his tournament bow in 1982, tradition was set aside and he was handed No. 10 regardless.
"No matter what happens and no matter who is in charge, the No. 10 shirt will always be mine," the iconic midfielder once declared. Whoever Scaloni ultimately selects, Argentina will forever have its true No. 10.