Argentina tried to sign Lionel Messi alongside Diego Maradona more than 20 years ago, and they failed miserably.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner remains dedicated to the Argentina national team, even after lifting the World Cup last year. Due to international obligations, the captain of Argentina and Inter Miami will miss seven MLS games in 2019. He is fervently hoping to win the Copa America for a second time.
Messi has 106 goals in 180 games for La Albiceleste and there will never be another like him. Argentina is planning to remember Messi’s extraordinary exploits in the same way that they did with Maradona, the genius No.10 who came before him.
The 1986 World Cup champion was celebrated by his country, which attempted to retire his legendary No.10 shirt for a time. Ariel Ortega was the final player to wear No.10, as then-AFA president Julio Grondona wanted it to be unavailable.
The plan was to retire it for the 2002 World Cup, but FIFA denied the request because teams needed to have numbers 1 to 23 in the competition.
“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,” current AFA president Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia told an Argentine newspaper, as per MARCA.
Napoli retired Maradona’s No.10, but Barcelona is unable to do the same with Messi due to La Liga’s shirt requirements.
