Argentina will not immediately hand Lionel Messi’s famous No.10 shirt to another player, with Lionel Scaloni confirming that the number will remain unused until after Messi’s farewell match.

Argentina make surprise decision over Messi’s No.10 before naming successor

Argentina have made an important decision over Lionel Messi’s iconic No.10 shirt as the national team prepares for a new era without its legendary captain.

With Messi approaching his final appearance for Argentina, attention has quickly turned to one major question.

Who will inherit the famous No.10?

Lionel Scaloni has now provided a major update, but Argentina are not ready to name Messi’s successor just yet.

Argentina will leave Messi’s No.10 unused

Scaloni has confirmed that no Argentina player will wear the No.10 shirt in the matches before Messi’s farewell appearance.

The coach explained that Argentina are not required to use every shirt number during those games.

That means the famous No.10 can remain empty.

Argentina have therefore decided to protect the number until Messi plays his final match for the national team.

It is a symbolic decision that shows how much the shirt still represents Messi’s era with Argentina.

Scaloni confirms a new No.10 will eventually be chosen

The shirt will not remain unused forever.

Scaloni has confirmed that after Messi’s farewell, Argentina intend to give the No.10 to another player on a more permanent basis.

However, the decision has not yet been made.

Scaloni said:

“We just haven’t decided who yet.”

That means there is currently no official successor to Messi’s No.10 shirt.

Argentina are expected to take their time before giving one of football’s most famous numbers to another player.

Nico Paz emerges as major candidate

Although Scaloni has not announced his decision, one name continues to appear strongly in discussions.

Nico Paz is widely viewed as one of the leading candidates to inherit Messi’s shirt.

The Como midfielder has already become an important young talent for Argentina and is comfortable playing in creative attacking areas.

Paz also wears the No.10 shirt at club level, making him an obvious candidate in the eyes of many supporters and media outlets.

But there is an important clarification.

Argentina have NOT officially confirmed that Paz will receive Messi’s number.

Paz continues impressive rise

Paz’s recent performances have helped strengthen his case.

The Argentine midfielder enjoyed an excellent season in Italy and was named Serie A’s best young player for the 2025/26 campaign.

He finished the season with:

12 goals

7 assists

His performances have made him one of Argentina’s most exciting young players heading into the post-Messi era.

That does not guarantee him the No.10 shirt, but it explains why his name is appearing so often in the discussion.

Replacing Messi is about more than a shirt number

Whoever receives the No.10 will face enormous attention.

Messi has worn the number through one of the greatest periods in Argentina’s football history.

During his international career, he helped the country win major trophies and became Argentina’s all-time leading scorer.

The next player to wear No.10 will therefore inherit more than just a number.

He will also inherit the expectations connected to Messi’s legacy.

Captaincy and No.10 will be different decisions

Argentina are also preparing for a change in leadership.

However, the captaincy situation is separate from the question of who receives Messi’s shirt.

Cristian Romero has emerged as one of the main candidates to take a bigger leadership role, while Emiliano Martinez and Lautaro Martinez are also part of Argentina’s senior leadership group.

This means Messi’s captaincy and his No.10 shirt may eventually go to different players.

Argentina appear ready to separate leadership responsibilities from the symbolic importance of the number.

Messi farewell comes first

For now, Argentina’s priority is Messi’s final appearance.

The national team do not want another player wearing his number before that moment arrives.

The No.10 will remain Messi’s until his international journey officially comes to an end.

Only after that will Scaloni and his staff make the final decision about the future of the shirt.

A new era is getting closer

Argentina have spent many years building their team around Messi.

Now they are slowly preparing for life without him.

The next captain will need to provide leadership.

The next generation will need to replace his creativity and goals.

And one player will eventually have to wear the famous No.10.

For now, however, Scaloni has made one thing clear: Messi’s shirt will remain untouched until his farewell is complete.

Nico Paz may currently be one of the strongest candidates, but Argentina’s next No.10 has not yet been officially chosen.

After Messi’s final match, one of the biggest decisions of Argentina’s new era will finally have to be made.