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Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni gave a clear-cut response when asked who will wear Lionel Messi's No. 10 shirt in his absence. The Argentine legend has been off the pitch since injuring his ankle in the 2024 Copa America final and will not be available for the September World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking via TNT Sports Argentina, Scaloni made it clear that the No. 10 jersey already has an owner:
"When Messi wasn't there, [Angel] Correa and other players used the number 10. It's not a problem, we know that the number 10 has an owner. The number 11 doesn't have one now."
Leo Messi took up Argentina's number 10 shirt in the 2008-09 season and has been sporting the shirt ever since. He was not included in the squad for Argentina's September World Cup qualifiers as he's yet to fully recover from his ankle injury.
As per his current club Inter Miami boss Tata Martino, the Argentine is expected to return to the game mid-September or early October, ahead of the MLS play-offs. If things go as planned, Lionel Messi could be back on the pitch in La Albiceleste colors for their October World Cup qualifier fixtures.
Meanwhile, Argentina are currently at the top of the table of their qualifying group with 15 points through six games. In Lionel Messi's absence, Argentina will face Chile on September 6 and Colombia on September 11.
Rodrigo De Paul confirms Argentina captaincy still belongs to Lionel Messi in his absence
Ahead of Argentina's World Cup qualifier games against Chile and Colombia, it was highly anticipated that Rodrigo De Paul could take up the captain's armband in the absence of Lionel Messi.
However, De Paul refuted such claims when asked about taking up Argentina's captaincy and said (via GOAL):
"I always say that I play the role that they give me. It's been many years. I feel like an important player in this team. That's all I can say. Afterwards, we know that the armband belongs to Leo. Whoever has to wear it will be circumstantial because he is the captain of this team."
Lionel Messi has been La Albiceleste's captain since 2011 and continues to be an integral part of the national team despite his temporary absence. In his unavailability, it was usually Angel Di Maria who would be seen taking up the role of captain. However, the Benfica forward retired from international football after the 2024 Copa America.
