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FIFA blocks Argentina’s plan to retire Messi’s No. 10 shirt

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Argentina’s plan to permanently retire Lionel Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt has been blocked by FIFA regulations.

The Argentine Football Association reportedly wanted to retire the shirt following Messi’s decision to end his international career after more than two decades with the national team.

Messi announced on August 31 that he would retire from international football, with the Inter Miami forward expected to make his farewell appearance before the Argentine public on October 6 when Argentina face Benin in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

FIFA rules prevent retirement

Messi has made 207 international appearances and scored 125 goals for Argentina, wearing the No. 10 shirt throughout much of his international career.

However, FIFA regulations require teams participating in international final tournaments to use squad numbers from 1 to 26. The rule means Argentina cannot permanently retire the No. 10 shirt.

Liberia faced a similar situation after retiring the No. 14 shirt in honour of former striker and president George Weah.

FIFA regulations subsequently required Liberia to use the number during the country’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Scaloni yet to name successor

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has not decided who will inherit Messi’s famous shirt.

Scaloni said Argentina would not be required to assign the number immediately and would wait until after Messi’s farewell match before making a decision.

“We are not obliged to assign it for the upcoming matches, so we will give it to no one until after Leo’s farewell match. We just have not yet decided who,” he said, according to ESPN.

However, ESPN Argentina reporter Federico Bueno reported that Nico Paz is the leading candidate to take over the shirt if Scaloni extends his contract as Argentina coach.

“If Scaloni extends his contract as Argentina head coach, then Nico Paz will be the new number 10. That has been decided internally,” Bueno said.

Paz, 22, is an attacking midfielder who previously played for Real Madrid before joining Italian club Como permanently for €60m last summer.

He has made 11 appearances for Argentina and scored one goal.

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Jude Bellingham agrees huge new Real Madrid contract

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Jude Bellingham has reportedly reached an agreement with Real Madrid over a new contract at the club.

Still only 23, Bellingham has been a remarkable success at Real Madrid, with 49 goals and 34 assists in his 150 games for the club.

According to Spanish outlet AS, Bellingham and Madrid have finalized an agreement to extend his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu until the summer of 2031.

The midfielder initially joined the club from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023 on a deal running through to 2029.

It’s understood that Bellingham will be handed a much improved salary, reflecting his importance on the pitch for the side.

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Manchester United Have ‘Moved On’ From Martinez Outburst — Carrick

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Michael Carrick said that Manchester United had “moved on” from Lisandro Martinez’s outburst aimed at the club’s hierarchy, stressing it was “really not a drama for us as a group”.

Argentina defender Martinez criticised the United hierarchy following their 2-0 Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, saying Carrick had been left with an under-strength squad.

The centre-back criticised technical director Jason Wilcox, saying he had “100 percent” expected more investment during the summer transfer window after United finished third in the Premier League last season.

It is understood Martinez, who issued an apology on Thursday, has been fined for his outburst.

United manager Carrick confirmed during a pre-match press conference on Friday that Martinez would be in his squad for their Premier League match at bitter rivals Leeds on Sunday.

Carrick, under intense pressure after a terrible start to the season, was asked by reporters about Martinez’s comments and subsequent developments.

“We’ve moved on from that; it was one of those things,” he said. “I think Licha (Martinez) has come out and acknowledged the situation, and as a group we’ve moved on.

“It’s really not a drama for us as a group; I think the boys have trained really well. This morning there was a really good feeling around the squad.”

Martinez, 28, said in a statement he had held positive talks with the club’s leadership and Carrick.

“Everyone knows that I am a passionate person and that I live football with great intensity,” he said in a post on Instagram.

“The frustration of the defeat led me to express how I felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones, and for that I want to apologise.”

Former United captain Roy Keane has branded the situation at his former club “a bit of a circus”.

Carrick was pressed by reporters on the nature of the apology from Martinez, which did not mention Wilcox by name.

“I think he (Martinez) has released his statement and he’s realised he’s made a mistake,” said the United boss. “I think that’s enough for all of us to move on with.”

“I understand the emotion at times. We ask for passion, we ask for emotion, we ask for fire, and we ask for players to care.

“There’s a way of doing that, and that’s already been acknowledged. We need to carry that. We need to carry that intensity and that willingness and that togetherness and that spirit and everything,” he added.

United have made their worst start to a league season in 40 years.

They are 13th in the Premier League, with just one win from six matches, but Carrick, a former United and England midfielder, deflected a question about the pressure on him personally.

“I don’t need results; we all need results,” he said. “It’s not about me. Manchester United is a lot bigger than any individual, bigger than me.

“Bigger than any player, anyone else who works at this football club. It always has been, and it’s not about me.”

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PSG prepare ambitious swoop for Barcelona’s Eric García

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Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly identified Barcelona defender Eric Garcia as their top transfer target for summer 2027.

According to Le Parisien, Luis Enrique is eager to reunite with the versatile Spaniard, who can operate centrally or in wide defensive positions.

The French champions are reportedly considering a €70 million offer to persuade Blaugrana to sell the 25-year-old.

García, whose contract runs until 2031, has become an important figure under Hansi Flick, making 51 appearances across all competitions last season, including 47 starts.

The 2026 World Cup winner has maintained his impressive form this term, starting all eight matches in which he has featured.

A Barcelona academy graduate, Garcia joined Manchester City in 2017 before returning to the Catalan giants four years later.

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