Lionel Messi will wear his iconic number 10 at Inter Miami as the Major League Soccer club confirmed his arrival in Florida. On Saturday, Inter Miami released a video in which the Argentina superstar could be seen wearing the club's pink shirt with the number 10 emblazoned on the back.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has announced the permanent retirement of the No. 10 jersey, honouring Lionel Messi's contributions to the national team. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has decided to retire the iconic No. 10 jersey.
Messi, who has said he will retire before the 2026 World Cup, was included in the squad despite carrying a muscle problem which has kept him out of action for club side Inter Miami.
Well, it turns out he wears it for sentimental reasons. When a fresh-faced Messi made his Barcelona debut in 2004, he sported the No30 on his back. Messi carried on wearing the number for the next two seasons, also wearing the No19 before inheriting Ronaldinho's No10 in 2008.
In 2001, three years before he made the leap to the first team, Messi played his first game for Barça's Under-13s wearing the No. 9 shirt. But for most of his time at La Masia, up until he graduated to Barça B, his squad number was number 10. With the reserves, he wore three different numbers in the 2004/5 season - No.
But the major difference, statistically at least, is that Messi has played over 100 fewer games than his rival – not a surprise given he is two years younger than the Portuguese icon. And when it comes to goals or assists per game or per minute, Messi boasts a superior record.
When he made his debut in 2004/05, he did so with the no. 30. Two years later, he switched to no. 19 as LaLiga Santander rules dictate that first team players must have numbers between one and 25.
Reach out to Lionel Messi directly through social media.
It's a long shot, but being honest and trying to talk to him via social media may pay off. Try offering to help with one of his charity causes. Be open and honest by telling Lionel Messi who you are and why meeting him would mean so much to you.
Inter Miami have not yet given a reason for Messi's absence from the team, but it is likely a precaution to avoid over-working the Argentine in the early weeks of the 2024 campaign. ESPN Argentina report that the Inter Miami captain is struggling with muscular soreness in his left hamstring.
The current trend is also for a striker who comes towards the ball and tries to create chances for others, not so much a false nine but a “nine and a half”. Kane is the best example of this, but not the only one. Roberto Firmino had huge success doing this during the recent peak years of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side.
Lionel Messi (front, no. 10) has been a proponent of the false 9 position to much success in recent years. A false 9, in some ways similar to a more advanced attacking midfielder/playmaker role, is an unconventional lone striker or centre-forward, who drops deep into midfield.
Messi did not wear his usual number 30 jersey because it is a tradition in the French Cup for all starting players to wear jersey numbers from 1 to 11. With Neymar missing from the starting line-up, PSG honored the tradition by giving Messi the chance to wear his beloved number 10 jersey for the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo's first jersey number was No. 28, given to him after he broke into the Sporting Lisbon first team from the youth setup in 2002. In fact, it was in his jersey No. 28 that Ronaldo turned up for Sporting Lisbon in a pre-season friendly against Manchester United on August 6, 2003.
The bisht is a robe made of camel hair and goat wool worn in the Arab world on special occassions. It is a garment worn by royalty or religious leaders and the moment when Messi lifted the trophy was seen as the icing on the cake for Qatar.
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi insists he wants to be at 2026 World Cup 'more than ever' but admits his sole focus is defending Argentina's Copa America crown. Lionel Messi has admitted he would like to play in the 2026 World Cup but insists his main focus is defending Argentina's Copa America title first.
