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Lionel Messi's iconic number 10 shirt is up for grabs at FC Barcelona. La Liga's rules do not allow clubs to retire shirt numbers, according to Spanish outlet MARCA (via the Daily Star).
Many football clubs have retired shirt numbers in honor of their legends. AC Milan retired the number 3 in honor of Paulo Maldini while Inter Milan did the same with the number 4 shirt in honor of Javier Zanetti.
However, Barcelona cannot do the same for Lionel Messi. According to the La Liga rulings, each club has to assign a shirt number from 1 to 25 for their first-team squad. Should Barcelona retire the number 10 shirt in honor of Lionel Messi, the club are virtually sacrificing a place in the first-team squad for the future.
It is worth noting that shirt numbers like 1, 7, 9 and 10 are important in a team and would be difficult to retire for any club let alone Barcelona.
None of the Barcelona players were seen wearing the iconic number 10 against Juventus in the Joan Gamper Trophy. The shirt may be left vacant for the entirety of the 2021-22 season.
After leaving Barcelona, Lionel Messi is now on the verge of signing for Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner will not a get a chance to wear the number 10 in Paris as it is currently occupied by his good friend Neymar.
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Who could possibly wear the number 10 shirt at Barcelona after Lionel Messi?
The entire Barcelona squad has a shirt number so the number 10 shirt should remain vacant for the time being. However, whoever is given the number 10 shirt at Barcelona after Lionel Messi will have a huge burden of responsibility.
Many La Masia youngsters would dream of one day replicating Lionel Messi and being given the number 10 shirt in the first-team. However, Barcelona will need to sign a superstar like Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe in order to justify giving the number 10 shirt to someone.
As things stand, the number 10 shirt is vacant at FC Barcelona following the departure of Lionel Messi.
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