Argentina face Benin in their final friendly of this FIFA window against a team with a very low position in the FIFA rankings, but the true significance of the match lies in its occasion: it will be Lionel Messi‘s final game with Argentina following a career that marked a before and after for the country.
Alongside his farewell, Messi leaves behind a massive legacy tied to the No. 10 jersey, leaving fans to question what will happen next. At the moment, there is no official announcement regarding the retirement of the number, meaning a successor will likely wear it.
Among the most discussed candidates, the primary player poised to wear the No. 10 shirt after Leo Messi is Nico Paz. The Como player competed in the 2026 World Cup wearing No. 18 and, as he uses the number at his club, stands as a top candidate to take the baton—especially with Lionel Scaloni having already demonstrated trust in him.
Nico Paz is the favorite to inherit the No. 10
The sheer weight of the shirt makes Nico a natural candidate, given Scaloni’s high regard for him, though he faces competition from other players who could also wear it based on ability and history with Argentina. The situation mirrors what happened with Angel Di Maria’s No. 11 jersey, which was passed to Giovani Lo Celso regardless of other players wearing it when Gio was absent.
Nico Paz of Argentina controls the ball.
If precedent serves as an indication, two other candidates were linked to the No. 10 in the same match. Thiago Almada, a World Cup champion in Qatar and starter at the beginning of the 2026 World Cup, was assigned to wear the emblematic shirt for the visit to Ecuador on September 9, 2025, to close out World Cup qualifying. However, muscle discomfort led Scaloni to alter his plans and hand the heavy shirt to Franco Mastantuono instead.
Thiago Almada and Mastantuono as options?
Almada, who began finding the regular playing time at River that he had not fully secured at Atletico Madrid, remains another option. Mastantuono’s situation appears more complicated due to his current status at Fiorentina, where he is on loan and gradually regaining his form following a difficult first year at Real Madrid.
For now, nothing is confirmed beyond speculation, but the future of the jersey will be closely monitored due to the weight of the number. Beyond Messi‘s legacy—which is vast enough on its own to justify retiring the shirt—it is a historic number previously worn by legendary figures like Diego Maradona and Mario Kempes, all World Cup champions.
Key takeaways
- Benin serves as the opponent for Lionel Messi’s final game with Argentina.
- Nico Paz is considered the primary candidate to inherit the No. 10 jersey.
- September 9, 2025 saw Franco Mastantuono assigned the iconic number against Ecuador.
