Who will wear the number 10 shirt in the Argentina national team after Messi?

**Who will wear the number 10 shirt in the Argentina national team after Messi?**

After Lionel Messi ended his career with the Argentina national team, new contenders have emerged for the legendary number 10 shirt of the team. So far, head coach Lionel Scaloni has not made a final decision on who to give this number to. This was reported by ESPN Argentina.

According to the source, Messi has worn the number 10 shirt of the Argentina national team for almost two decades. Now this number is empty.

Several players have worn the number 10 shirt in matches when Messi is not in the national team. Among them are Thiago Almada and Franco Mastantuono. Mastantuono played in the match against Ecuador in 2025.

Currently, Nico Paz is considered one of the main candidates for the number 10. The 22-year-old player also plays in the same number for Como. He plays as an attacking midfielder and plays an important role in organizing attacks.

Franco Mastantuono is also among the candidates. The Fiorentina player plays on his left foot and usually moves from the right wing towards the center of attack. These characteristics are somewhat similar to Messi's playing style in recent years.

Thiago Almada is also one of the options for number 10. He previously wore this number when Messi was not in the national team and is an important player in Scaloni's current team.

However, the number 10 shirt does not mean that one player will take on all the duties Messi performed. The duties in the national team can be divided between several players. Enso Fernandes, Alexis McAllister and Rodrigo de Paul are expected to play an important role in controlling the team's game, while Paz, Almada or Mastantuono will play an important role in organizing attacks.

Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez will also continue to perform the main duties in attack.

Therefore, the number 10 in the Argentine national team should not be directly compared to Messi. Now Scaloni is faced with the task of not only appointing a new player to the legendary number, but also of forming a playing system for the team without Messi.

For information, 39-year-old Lionel Messi has been playing for the US club Inter Miami since 2023. During his career in Europe, the Argentine player played for the French club PSG and the Spanish club Barcelona.

Messi won the Champions League four times, the UEFA Super Cup three times and the Club World Cup with Barcelona.

The striker won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with Argentina. He also won silver medals at the 2014 and 2026 World Cups. Messi is also the 2008 Olympic champion and the winner of the 2021 and 2024 Copa America.

The Argentine footballer has won the Ballon d'Or eight times. According to this indicator, Messi is the record holder in the history of the award.

Messi has played in 207 matches for the Argentina national team, scoring 125 goals. He is the national team's record holder in both indicators. Leo has participated in the World Cup six times during his career.