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Argentina (Source: Twitter)
The number 10 jersey number has always been associated with greatness in sports. Argentina icon Diego Maradona, Brazilian superstars Pele and Ronaldinho, French great Zinedine Zidane, legendary cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Alan Donald are some of the names that come to mind when you hear this iconic number. The latest megastar in the sporting world to don this number on the back of their jersey is another magician of La Albiceleste - Lionel Messi.
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Since making his senior debut for Argentina in 2005, Messi has been an irreplaceable asset for them. The little boy from Rosario dreamed of leading his national team to ultimate glory and at the age of 35 he did. In honor of his unparalleled achievement, the Argentina Football Association is set to retire Messi's number 10 jersey once he ends his international career.
Speaking at a press conference, the president of the board, Claudio Tapia, said, "When Messi retires from the national team, we will not allow anyone else to wear the number 10 after him. This number ’10’ will be retired for life in his honour. It’s the least we can do for him."
The elite forward has made 180 appearances for Argentina and has scored 106 goals. He has also managed to adorn his trophy cabinet with the 2021 Copa America, 2022 World Cup, and eight Ballon d'Ors among many other accolades. He has also become the face of Barcelona and the skipper is leading Inter Miami to greater heights in Major League Soccer.
Argentina couldn't fulfill the wish of retiring jersey number of Maradona
Argentina's governing body had previously tried to retire the number 10 jersey worn by Maradona. Before the 2002 World Cup, AFA president Julio Grondona wanted to retire the jersey. But that was not possible due to FIFA's rules requiring teams to use numbers 1 to 23 in the tournament.
As Claudio Tapia said, retiring a jersey number is a least but great way to honour an individual's outstanding achievements in their respective sport. Sports icons like Michael Jordan, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni have had their jersey numbers retired as a tribute to their remarkable achievements both on and off the field.