Succeeding Messi: Scaloni picks the number 10 for the Argentina national team

The Flea has retired from international football

Lionel Scaloni has settled on the man to inherit Argentina's historic number 10 shirt from Lionel Messi.

Messi called time on his international career this week at the age of 39, and the biggest question now is who takes the number 10, given how hard FIFA regulations make it to retire the number in official matches.

Messi himself inherited the shirt from another of the game's greats and a national hero, the late Diego Maradona, who also wore that prized number 10 for his country.

According to ESPN, Scaloni already knows the star who will wear the legendary shirt.

The network said: "If Scaloni renews his contract as Argentina coach, something expected to be negotiated in the coming months, the number 10 shirt will pass to Nico Paz. This decision has already been made internally and is being taken seriously."

Paz is still only 21, yet he already has 11 caps for his country and has burst through as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe.

He plays under Cesc Fabregas at Como in Italy.

Born in Spain, he was plucked from Tenerife by Real Madrid as a teenager and brought into their academy.

Madrid held a buy-back clause and were expected to re-sign him this summer, but they eventually struck a deal with Como instead.

The Italians kept the attacking midfielder for a fee of 50 million pounds.

Restructuring the deal wiped out the previous buy-back and sell-on clauses and handed Real Madrid a fresh buy-back option worth 68.6 million pounds, valid until 2027.

This is the second time Messi has walked away from international football, following 2016.

Two Copa America final defeats either side of the 2014 World Cup final pushed him to quit the national side, before he reversed the call. A decade of dominance followed.

He signs off with 125 goals in 207 internationals, along with a World Cup and two Copa America titles.