Nobody wore No. 10 in Argentina's first game since Messi retired, and Forlán's Uruguay won

Most of the fans at La Bombonera on Friday night wore Lionel Messi's No. 10. Nobody on the field did. In Argentina's first match since Messi retired from international soccer in October, Lionel Scaloni left the number unassigned, and Diego Forlán's Uruguay spoiled the start of the new era with a 2-1 win in Buenos Aires.

Scaloni explained that he has not chosen a successor and, since it isn't mandatory to hand out the number, prefers to leave it vacant for now, according to ESPN. It is a small decision with a big message. Messi finished his Argentina career with 207 caps and 125 goals after a farewell friendly against Benin, per The Times of India, and the team had revolved around him for more than two decades.

The absence showed in the stands too. La Bombonera was well short of a sellout, something rarely seen for Argentina. Asked about the crowd, Scaloni told La Nación he hadn't thought about it. "The people will surely come to cheer for the national team, they are unconditional, even if Leo is not playing," he said. "We are the ones who have to inspire them."

The first half finished 0-0, with Argentina keeping the ball but creating little. Uruguay struck twice early in the second half: Leonardo Balerdi turned the ball into his own net in the 48th minute, and Maximiliano Araújo made it 2-0 in the 53rd, assisted by Giorgian de Arrascaeta. Julián Álvarez pulled one back in the 73rd from a Gianluca Prestianni assist, but Argentina never found the equalizer.

Scaloni started Como's Nico Paz and Thiago Almada in the creative roles around Álvarez, and neither could fill the gap Messi left in the final third, as The Times of India noted. Paz arrived at this camp with his stock rising; ESPN's transfer roundup on Saturday cited a report from The Sun that Manchester United are monitoring him, with Real Madrid holding an option to bring him back in 2027.

The result came a day after Scaloni signed an extension through 2030 that would make him the first coach to lead Argentina at three World Cups. The deal includes a chance for both sides to review it after the 2028 Copa América, according to La Voz, and assistant Walter Samuel will leave the staff in 2027 to start his own coaching career. Scaloni had asked for time to evaluate his future after the 1-0 loss to Spain in July's World Cup final in New Jersey.

"We have to rebuild without Leo Messi, and we have the talent to bounce back from this loss," Scaloni said after the game, per ESPN. "The match was good, beyond the final result; we performed well in the second half."

Forlán and Scaloni had met eight times as players, mostly in La Liga, with Scaloni winning four of them, Olé noted, but this was their first meeting as coaches. Argentina's next chance to start the post-Messi era with a win comes Tuesday against Costa Rica in Córdoba, while Uruguay host the Dominican Republic the same day. Whoever ends up wearing the No. 10 eventually, the begining has been harder than the fans in those shirts expected.