Argentina is sitting pretty in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. Lionel Scaloni’s side is in first place with a 5-1 record, their only loss being a home defeat to Uruguay. In September, the three-time World Cup winners will face Chile at home and Colombia on the road.
The Argentine national team will have to do it without Lionel Messi, who is back in Miami with his club, Inter Miami, rehabbing from an ankle injury that has sidelined him since the 2024 Copa America final.
Without Messi, Argentina’s iconic number 10 kit, according to CONMEBOL rules, will be assigned, but few, if any, want to wear the kit that belongs to the GOAT. Diario Olé is reporting that Alexis Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, or Paulo Dybala could wear Messi’s jersey, but Mac Allister has different thoughts on Argentina’s number 10 kit.
Alexis Mac Allister on Wearing Lionel Messi’s Number 10
When asked by reporters about the idea of wearing Argentina’s iconic number 10 kit, the Liverpool midfielder stated, “Take care of her? (Messi’s 10) No, the number 10 is Messi’s and no one else’s.”
Mac Allister also added, “It’s always an honor to play for the national team, for my country. So I really enjoy it, and I hope it can be another important date for us.”
With no real threat in sight, Argentina should qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Still, the match against Chile will be a chance to see how a post-Messi Argentina might look in the future. Scaloni’s men will be judged more on their performance against Colombia than Chile.