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When the world knew that Messi, the top star of the Argentine national team, was going to hang up his boots, the football circle exploded. Tapia, the head of the Argentine Football Federation, said that in order to commemorate Messi's glorious career, they considered retiring the No. 10 shirt of the national team. As soon as this incident appeared on the headline of the Spanish newspaper "Marca", it attracted a wide range of attention. Although this seems to be the highest praise for Messi, in fact, it has caused quite a stir.
The retirement of Messi's jersey is not groundless. Previously, the Argentine Football Federation also thought about doing this, paying tribute to Maradona, another legend in football. I remember that in the 2002 World Cup, the then president of the Argentine Football Federation, Grondona, announced that Ortega could be the last Argentine player to wear the number 10 shirt. However, FIFA regulations put this plan to a halt. FIFA rules require that the player numbers of participating teams must be from 1 to 23. So, if the Argentine Football Federation does retire the number 10 shirt, they will have to give up a spot in a major competition.
This proposal has not only caused controversy in Argentina, but also caused a lot of discussion in the international football community. In the case of Pele, who passed away in 2022, the Brazilian Football Federation faced similar pressure, but they finally decided to follow the current rules and keep the jersey number intact. In the 2022 World Cup, although France and Iran did not report 26 players, this was their own choice, and it has nothing to do with the retired jersey number.
At national team level, examples of retired jersey numbers are uncommon. The only exception is Liberia, who retired the number 14 shirt of legendary George Weah in 2018. Weah, who was the president of Liberia at the time, took the opportunity to retire his shirt number when he played himself in a warm-up match against Nigeria. Liberia have never qualified for the World Cup finals, so one less player in an official match will have little impact on them.
At club level, the shirt number of a retired legend is a common way to pay tribute. For example, on October 1, 1977, the New York Cosmos began this tradition by holding a retirement ceremony for Pele's No. 10 jersey. In 2000, Napoli held a retirement ceremony for Maradona's number 10 shirt, along with other notable retirement jersey numbers such as 01, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18 and 20. There are also jersey numbers that are retired in honor of deceased players, such as numbers 21, 23, 24, 26 and 29. In England, Birmingham City retired the number 22 shirt in recognition of Bellingham's contribution. Bellingham led the team to relegation and was the youngest player to retire his shirt number. In Turkey, the Valley Ears City Club also retired the No. 12 jersey in honor of the club's founder and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
But retiring jerseys at the national team level is a bit of a different story. The Argentine Football Federation is now trying to convince FIFA's big players that it wants to be a little more flexible with the player number rules. The idea is to relax that number of entries so that it would be possible to retire the No. 10 jersey. However, it is still unknown whether FIFA will agree.
Messi is a big name in Argentina. He will at least play in this year's Copa America and perhaps continue to play for his country before the 2026 World Cup. If the Argentine Football Association really decides to retire the No. 10 jersey, this plan will have to wait for Messi to officially retire for half a year before it can be implemented. Even so, this decision has caused a lot of discussion and controversy.
From a broader perspective, retiring jersey numbers are a way of recognising and commemorating a player's remarkable achievements. It embodies the deep affection and respect that fans and clubs have for their players. But at the national team level, retiring the jersey can be in conflict with the rules and traditions of international football. It's not just about the rules of football, it's about respecting the history and traditions of football.
Regardless of whether the Argentine Football Association's proposal can pass or not, Messi is already an indelible legend in football history. His name will be remembered forever, along with football superstars like Pele and Maradona. Retiring his jersey number would undoubtedly be the highest tribute to the legendary footballer.
In this article, we talk about the history, controversy and significance of retiring jersey numbers, as well as the impact this practice may have on international football rules. We have seen how the world of sport has found a balance between respect for tradition and innovation, and we have also witnessed Messi's great place in the history of football. No matter what the final decision is, Messi's contribution and influence will forever be engraved in the annals of football history.
Okay, so having said that, what do you think? Should the Argentine Football Federation retire Messi's No. 10 shirt? What does this mean for the football world? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section!