Argentina captain Cristian Romero has revealed he would give the No. 10 jersey to Julián Alvarez following Lionel Messi’s international retirement.
After 208 appearances, two Copa América titles and a World Cup, Messi ended his national team career with a send-off match against Benin in October.
The match, dubbed “the Last Tango”, ended 3–0 to Argentina with Messi among the scorers—though the result was of little significance, as the event primarily served as a great, big tearful farewell to one of the game’s all-time greats.
Argentina will take its first tentative steps in a post-Messi era in the November international break, with manager Lionel Scaloni and the team now tasked finding a way forward without arguably the greatest player who ever lived.
There has been much debate about who will inherit Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt—a number that carries even more weight in Argentina as it was also previously worn by Diego Maradona.
Romero Backs Fellow Atleti Star
Speaking to YouTuber Gastón Edul, Romero—the newly appointed Argentina captain post-Messi—has given his take on who should wear the jersey as the team’s de facto MVP.
“Me, I would give it to Julián [Alvarez],” Romero said, before adding: “I don’t know, I see him with this humble profile, a family man, a good guy, with all the qualities that he has.
“We have many important players in the national team. I say Julián because he has all the necessary qualities to wear the 10.”
Romero’s nod for Alvarez is a boost for his Atlético Madrid teammate. The 26-year-old has endured a difficult start to the season domestically after he failed to engineer a transfer to Barcelona this summer and was subsequently booed by Atleti’s fans at the Metropolitano.
After scoring the winner in the 1–0 win over Deportivo—his first in La Liga this season—Alvarez made a public apology to Atleti’s supporters, saying: ”I understand why the fans are angry. If I were a fan, I’d be angry too. Especially given how they’ve supported me since I arrived.”
Alvarez has scored 16 times in 61 games for Argentina and was part of both the 2022 World Cup winning roster as well as the one which finished as runner-up to Spain at the 2026 tournament this summer. He has worn the No. 19 shirt for Atleti and 9 for Argentina.
Romero Snubs In-Form Paz
While Romero has given his backing to Alvarez as Messi’s successor, he overlooked perhaps one of the most popular choices in Nico Paz.
Though far less established than Alvarez, the 22-year-old Como star has long been tipped as the man to lead Argentina’s attack, advancing from wonderkid to bonafide superstar in recent times.
Named Serie A’s Best Midfielder last season, the Spanish-born Paz scored 13 times in all competitions for Como as they achieved an historic Champions League qualification. There has been no let up this season, with Paz earning global attention with a coming-of-age display in the 4–1 win over Manchester United last month, in which he scored twice and bagged an assist.
Alvarez vs. Paz in 2026–27
| Stat | Alvarez | Paz |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 10 | 12 |
| Goals | 2 | 5 |
| Assists | 2 | 6 |
In that game, Paz—aged 22—became the youngest Argentinian player to make three goal contributions in a Champions League match since Messi did so back in 2009.
Curiously, Messi’s youngest son, Ciro, was pictured wearing a Como shirt in one of his mum’s recent Instagram posts—something which could be read as a tacit endorsement of Paz.
Thiago Almada, Alexis Mac Allister and Franco Mastantuono are three other (far less likely) players who could take over the No. 10 responsibilities.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
