Lionel Messi will continue wearing Argentina’s No. 10 jersey at the 2026 World Cup, it has been confirmed.
The Inter Miami superstar is destined to become one of the first players to ever appear at six different World Cup tournaments—Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa are both in the running for the same feat—and Messi will hope to end what will likely be his final tournament appearance with gold.
His quest for glory will once again come with the famous No. 10 on his back after Argentina confirmed its full list of jersey numbers for this summer’s competition.
Argentina’s 2026 World Cup Jersey Numbers
| Player | Jersey Number |
|---|---|
| Juan Musso | 1 |
| Leonardo Balerdi | 2 |
| Nicolás Tagliafico | 3 |
| Gonzalo Montiel | 4 |
| Leandro Paredes | 5 |
| Lisandro Martínez | 6 |
| Rodrigo de Paul | 7 |
| Valentin Barco | 8 |
| Julián Álvarez | 9 |
| Lionel Messi | 10 |
| Giovani Lo Celso | 11 |
| Geronimo Rulli | 12 |
| Cristian Romero | 13 |
| Exequiel Palacios | 14 |
| Nico Gonzalez | 15 |
| Thiago Almada | 16 |
| Giuliano Simeone | 17 |
| Nico Paz | 18 |
| Nicolas Otamendi | 19 |
| Alexis Mac Allister | 20 |
| Jose Manuel Lopez | 21 |
| Lautaro Martínez | 22 |
| Emiliano Martínez | 23 |
| Enzo Fernández | 24 |
| Facundo Medina | 25 |
| Nahuel Molina | 26 |
Why Does Lionel Messi Wear No. 10?
Messi’s senior breakthrough at Barcelona came with either 30 or 19 on his jersey, while his early years with Argentina were spent swapping between 18 and 19. However, in 2008, he upgraded to 10 for both club and country.
By wearing 10, Messi has chosen to follow in the footsteps of some of the all-time greats that helped shape his game. At Barcelona, he took over the famous shirt following Ronaldinho’s departure, but his story with the jersey number for Argentina is perhaps most significant.
Argentina’s No. 10 jersey was made famous by the late Diego Maradona, who just so happened to take over the national team as manager in October 2008. Among his first decisions was to strip Messi of his 18 jersey and move him into the 10.
It was a truly emotional moment for Messi, whose admiration for Maradona and his impact on Argentinian soccer needs no explanation, and he has retained the number for both club and country almost permanently ever since.
Messi has worn 10 for Argentina for 18 years now, while at club level, he has spent just one season away from his preferred jersey number.
When Messi first joined Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, the No. 10 jersey was already taken by his close friend Neymar. The Brazilian actually offered to swap but Messi declined and instead took the No. 30 with which he made his senior debut at Barcelona. That number is usually reserved for goalkeepers in Ligue 1 and so special permission had to be sought.
He reclaimed the No. 10 upon his move to Inter Miami two years later and seems destined to wear his favorite number for the rest of his career. For Argentina, he may end up being the jersey’s final occupant, with rumors suggesting it could be retired when Messi hangs up his boots.
