Lionel Messi, 39, announced his retirement on August 31. This is not his first retirement from international football, as he had briefly retired in 2016. However, he returned in time for the 2018 World Cup and then brought the trophy home for Argentina from the 2022 tournament in Qatar. With his international retirement now seemingly definitive, there is a question to be asked as to who will be given the honour of taking on the iconic Argentina no.10 shirt, previously worn by the legendary Diego Maradona. According to reports, Como star Nico Paz is currently the most likely player to take on the prestigious Argentina no.10 shirt. The 21-year-old has often worn the no.18 in his 11 caps for the Argentina national team. Real Madrid still have an option to buy Paz back for an €80m fee in the summer of 2027.