Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni says there is no rush to decide who will inherit the iconic No.10 shirt following Lionel Messi’s retirement from international football.
Messi, who took over the shirt after Diego Maradona, announced his retirement after Argentina’s silver medal finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Inter Miami forward is set to play his final game for Argentina in a farewell friendly against Benin on October 6.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s friendly against Bolivia, Scaloni said no decision has been made on Messi’s successor.
“Our core style still revolves around controlling the ball. From there, we’ll see how we adapt [after Messi’s retirement].”
“We aren’t obligated to assign it for these matches, so we won’t give it to anyone until Leo’s farewell game.”
“The idea is for someone to eventually take it on, given how special it is to wear. We just haven’t decided who yet.”
