Argentina spreads the No. 10 shirt around after Messi's exit

One line sums it all up. Lionel Messi wrote it himself in the letter confirming his retirement from the national team: "I emptied myself out, I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some really good young players coming up who deserve to be there." With those words, Leo didn't just say goodbye: he laid out the exam that Lionel Scaloni now has to sit.

Twenty-one years have passed since his debut with the Albiceleste on August 17, 2005, years in which Messi became the ultimate reference point for Argentine soccer. He leaves after lifting two Copa Americas and a World Cup, and after playing in three of the last four World Cup finals. Now he leaves behind a void that, let's be honest, no single player is going to fill.

Who will be the 10? The question feels inevitable, but it's probably the wrong one to ask. Argentina doesn't currently have a player capable of taking on exactly the same role or carrying the same footballing weight Messi did. And maybe it doesn't even need to find one. The real challenge isn't replacing him: it's no longer needing him.

A burden shared among several

Julian Alvarez stands out as one of the candidates to take on a more creative role. La Arana was never a pure penalty-box nine: he drops in behind the forward, combines with teammates, drives with the ball. That versatility puts him at the center of the conversation, whether or not he actually wears the number 10.

Lautaro Martinez already knows that shirt well, he wears it as captain at Inter Milan, though his game has always been tied to that of a true center forward. Over time he's learned to drift away from the box and get more involved in overall play, without losing his main strength, which remains finishing.

There are options in midfield too. Alexis Mac Allister is a central figure at Liverpool and can play at different heights on the field when given the freedom to push toward the box; in fact, he scored the decisive goal in England's win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Enzo Fernandez, after becoming one of the transfer market's biggest sales (Manchester City paid roughly 145 million euros for him), already showed a more advanced version of himself on his debut against Coventry, taking part in the buildup to Erling Haaland's goal.

The youngsters have already felt the weight of the 10

Franco Mastantuono wore that shirt on September 9, 2025, against Ecuador, at just 18 years old, with Messi absent and Thiago Almada out with a knock. He went on to have a modest first season at Real Madrid and ended up on loan at Fiorentina through June 2027, but his story with the national team is just getting started.

Nico Paz, for his part, already made his ambitions clear after the World Cup final loss to Spain:

I promise to give absolutely everything I have to bring this cup back to Argentina.Nico Paz

At 21, with the talent and personality to play between the lines without fear of demanding the ball, he represents one of the biggest hopes of this new generation.

It's also worth remembering Paulo Dybala, long seen as the natural heir, along with Matias Soule and Emiliano Buendia, who are both looking for their own space now that Messi is gone.

Barcelona already went through something similar: Ansu Fati inherited the 10 and couldn't carry it, now he plays for Monaco. Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, wears it comfortably, but he deliberately avoids comparisons to Messi. And that makes sense: anyone who tries to be "the new Messi" is doomed to lose that battle, because there was only ever one Lionel Andres Messi.

Scaloni will have to build a different Argentina, a more collective one, where Julian, Lautaro, Enzo, Mac Allister, Nico Paz and Mastantuono share the responsibility. The first test comes during the FIFA window between September 21 and October 6, with the 2028 Copa America looming as the big target on the horizon.