Lionel Messi’s retirement from international football has left Argentina with one of the most difficult shirts in world football to fill. The No.10 has belonged to Messi for years after previously carrying the legacy of Diego Maradona, and the player reportedly chosen to inherit it is one of Argentina’s brightest young talents. Nico Paz has emerged as the reported successor to the iconic shirt, but there is one important condition attached to the plan.
Nico Paz reportedly chosen to inherit Messi’s No.10
According to ESPN Argentina, Argentina have already identified Paz as the player they want to hand Messi’s No.10 shirt to, although the decision is tied to Scaloni’s future with the national team.The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has previously worn No.18 during his 11 appearances for Argentina, but he could now take on the number associated with two of the country’s greatest-ever footballers.ESPN Argentina insider Federico Bueno reported that the plan has already been decided internally and is being taken seriously.“If Scaloni renews as Argentina’s coach, which is expected to be negotiated in the coming months, the No. 10 shirt will go to Nico Paz. This has already been decided internally and is being taken very seriously,” Bueno said.That means Paz’s succession of Messi is not yet unconditional. Scaloni’s contract situation must first be resolved, with the 48-year-old expected to negotiate a new deal in the coming months.Scaloni has been Argentina’s head coach since 2018 and oversaw the side’s run to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar before taking them to the 2026 World Cup final. If he agrees to continue in the role, Paz is reportedly set to become the next No.10.
Why Paz has emerged as the choice
There are more established names within the Argentina squad who could have been considered for such an iconic shirt, including Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister, but the reported succession plan points towards Paz as the player viewed as capable of leading the next generation.Paz, 21, was born in Spain but is the son of former Argentina international Pablo Paz. He came through the Real Madrid academy and made eight first-team appearances for the Spanish giants before leaving for Italian club Como in 2024.His development in Serie A has accelerated under former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, with Paz establishing himself as one of the most exciting young attacking players in European football.He has made 77 appearances in all competitions for Como, scoring 19 goals, while his performances have repeatedly fuelled speculation that Real Madrid could bring him back to the Bernabeu.A return to Madrid has reportedly been tipped in virtually every transfer window since his departure, underlining how highly the Spanish club continues to regard the player it developed.For Argentina, however, his development has taken on a different significance.Paz has already earned 11 senior caps and is now being considered for a role that carries considerably more weight than simply becoming another attacking option in the squad.
Messi leaves behind an enormous legacy
Whoever takes the No.10 will inevitably be compared with Messi, even if Argentina’s next generation has no realistic way of reproducing what the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner achieved.Messi departs the national team as a former world champion, having captained Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, and as the country’s long-standing No.10 and leader.He leaves after 207 international appearances, having built a legacy that also places him as the second-highest goalscorer in World Cup history.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) cries at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
His decision came after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey, with Messi making clear that he felt his international journey had reached its natural conclusion.“It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come,” Messi said in his retirement statement.“I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.”“Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team.”“I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”
A huge shirt for Argentina’s next generation
The significance of the No.10 means Paz would not simply be inheriting a squad number.Argentina’s shirt has already carried the weight of Diego Maradona, who famously wore it during his World Cup-winning campaign in 1986, before Messi created his own extraordinary chapter in the number.That makes the decision to give it to a 21-year-old a significant statement about how Argentina view Paz’s potential.The Como playmaker is still at an early stage of his international career, with only 11 appearances to his name, and he has never been expected to simply replace Messi as a player. Instead, the reported decision reflects the belief that he can become one of the central figures in Argentina’s post-Messi era.There is still one hurdle before that succession can happen.Scaloni’s future must first be settled. If the World Cup-winning coach agrees a new contract, the reported plan is for Paz to move from the No.18 he has worn during his early international career into Messi’s iconic No.10.For now, that remains a reported internal decision rather than an officially confirmed shirt change. But if Scaloni stays, Paz appears set to become the young Argentine entrusted with carrying the most famous number in the country’s football history into its next era.
