On 16 June 2006 an 18-year-old came off the bench in Gelsenkirchen and scored. Twenty years later, to the day, the same player scored three in Kansas City. Everything in between is the Messi era — and it is bracketed by two shirts that are both still on sale.
Argentina lead Serbia and Montenegro 3-0 when he comes on in the 75th minute. Four minutes later he crosses for Hernan Crespo, and in the 88th minute he scores the sixth himself, right foot, near post.
Twenty years to the day, in his sixth World Cup, Messi scores three against Algeria in the group stage — the same date, the same competition, a very different number.
One date, twenty years apart
Lionel Messi made his World Cup debut on 16 June 2006 in Gelsenkirchen, coming off the bench with Argentina already three goals up against Serbia and Montenegro. He was 18, the youngest player at the tournament, and within thirteen minutes he had crossed for Hernan Crespo and then scored the sixth goal of the afternoon from Carlos Tevez's pass. The shirt he wore that day carried 19: the No. 10 in that squad belonged to Juan Roman Riquelme. Argentina went out in the quarter-finals on penalties, and a career that would end twenty years later had started.
The symmetry is not the kind of thing a scriptwriter would risk. On 16 June 2026, twenty years to the day, Messi was a week short of his 39th birthday and playing his sixth World Cup. He scored a hat-trick against Algeria in Kansas City. By then the No. 10 was his, and had been for most of the two decades in between; Argentina went on to the final in New York that July and lost it to Spain. Two months later he announced his retirement from the national team, and on 6 October 2026 he played his final match for Argentina — a 3-0 win over Benin at the Estadio Monumental. We covered that night in the farewell match report.
The first shirt: the 2006 away
Argentina's 2006 away shirt is the one collectors ask about first, and it is not difficult to see why. Deep navy with sky-blue and white detailing at the shoulders and collar, a mid-2000s cut with wide shoulders and panelled sides — the kind of design that only looks right because of the tournament it belongs to. It is the shirt of the summer in which the world outside Barcelona first saw him play, and for a lot of supporters it is the beginning of the story rather than a piece of merchandise.
The store's 2006 Bringback Away is that design in navy, in men's, women's and youth cuts. Sizes run from a 31.5-inch chest in the men's cut up through XXL, with the women's and youth versions listed separately so the fit is right rather than approximate.
One detail worth knowing before you order: the number Messi actually wore in Germany in 2006 was 19. The No. 10 in that Argentina squad was Riquelme's, and it only became Messi's afterwards. The 2006 bringback is the shirt of the tournament, which is a different thing from a copy of the shirt he wore in the group stage.
The last shirt: the 2026 Farewell Edition
For the last match, Argentina's kit supplier built a one-off version of the shirt rather than wear the standard issue. The base is sky blue with a single broad white stripe down the centre instead of the classic vertical banding; tonal Sun-of-May rays spread across the front and back panels; the name and number are printed in gold, with the 10 on the chest as well as the back; and the player's own mark sits where a performance logo would normally go. It was never meant to be a season shirt. It was meant to be worn once, by one player, and remembered.
It is also the piece most people will actually want afterwards, which is why the store carries it in all three cuts. The youth sizes start lowest and the men's cut starts highest, and if you would rather have nothing printed on the back at all, the blank-back version of the same shirt is listed separately.
What he actually wore at the 2026 World Cup
The farewell shirt was a one-off for one evening. The two shirts Messi wore through his last World Cup are the ones the squad still plays in, and both are in the store.
The home shirt for 2026 is the one the Argentina kit has always been: light blue and white vertical stripes, the crest on the left chest with the three stars above it, and the name and number of your choice on the back — including MESSI 10. The away shirt goes the other way entirely: a deep navy base covered in a white graphic print, with sky-blue trim at the collar and cuffs.
A note on the away shirt's women's cut: it is listed as a player-name shirt rather than a fixed Messi print. The name and number is the first thing you choose on the product page, and MESSI 10 is one of the options — so if you are ordering the women's cut, that is where you select it.
The other half of 2006: the home shirt
If the away shirt is the one collectors argue about, the 2006 home shirt is the one most people actually picture. Light blue and white vertical stripes, a rounded collar and the simplest possible design language — this is the shirt of the tournament Argentina were widely expected to win, and the last Argentina kit from before the No. 10 changed hands. The bringback version comes in the same three cuts as the away, and at the same prices.
Which of the five should you buy?
All five shirts below are the same story from different angles, and the right one depends on which part of it you want to hold on to:
- The beginning — the 2006 away in navy. If you want the shirt of the summer it started, this is it, and it is the cheapest of the 2006 pair.
- The end — the 2026 Farewell Edition, with the gold name and number and the Sun of May across the body. It was worn once and it will not be made again in this form.
- The tournament — the 2026 World Cup home shirt, if you want the shirt the squad still plays in rather than a one-off.
- The contrast — the 2026 away in deep navy, the least Argentina-looking Argentina shirt in years and the one that gets the most comments.
- The classic — the 2006 home in light blue and white stripes, for anyone who wants the shirt they remember rather than the one that made history.
| Shirt | 2006 away | 2026 Farewell |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Deep navy with sky-blue trim | Sky blue, one broad white stripe |
| Number worn in it | 19 | 10, printed in gold |
| Worn in | Germany 2006, his first World Cup | Estadio Monumental, 6 October 2026 |
| Sold as | Bringback jersey, Men's · Women's · Youth | Farewell Edition, Men's · Women's · Youth |
| From | $36.99 | $48.99 |
Every card in this piece carries three buttons: Men's, Women's and Youth. They are three separate products with three separate prices, not three size options on one listing — and the youth cut is usually the lowest of the three. The buttons take you straight to the version you want instead of to a size chart.
Questions people ask about Messi's Argentina shirts
What number did Messi wear at the 2006 World Cup?
19. He made his debut in the No. 19 shirt against Serbia and Montenegro on 16 June 2006 and scored in it. Argentina's No. 10 at that tournament was Juan Roman Riquelme.
When did the No. 10 become Messi's?
After Riquelme's time with the national team ended. From that point on the 10 was Messi's, and he kept it for the rest of his international career — through the 2026 World Cup and the farewell match at the Estadio Monumental.
What is the 2026 Argentina Farewell Shirt?
A special edition built for his last match on 6 October 2026: sky blue with a single broad white stripe, tonal Sun-of-May rays across the body, a gold name and number, and the player's own mark where a performance logo would sit. It is sold in men's, women's and youth cuts, with a blank-back version listed separately.
Are the 2006 shirts still available?
Yes — both the navy away and the striped home are in the store as bringback jerseys, in men's, women's and youth cuts.
Was the 2026 World Cup his last one?
Yes. It was his sixth World Cup; Argentina reached the final in New York and lost to Spain. He announced his retirement from the national team in August 2026 and played his final match that October.
Do the shirts come in women's and youth sizes?
They do, and each one is a separate listing rather than an option on the men's product. That is deliberate: the prices and the fits differ, and the youth cut is usually the cheapest way to get the same shirt.
