Rabat – The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has approved a new rule that could have changed the history of its national team.
The policy bans players from representing Argentina if they leave the country before signing a professional contract with a local club.
Under this measure, Lionel Messi, the player who delivered Argentina a World Cup and is widely regarded as the greatest of all time, would not have been eligible for call-ups when he first moved to Barcelona from Newell’s Old Boys at age 13.
Other current internationals who would have been affected include World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, Giuliano Simeone, Emiliano Buendía, Enzo Barrenechea, Joaquin Panichelli, and Valentin Carboni.
The decision comes after several cases where teenagers left for Europe without signing locally, using Argentina’s “patria potestad” law.
This law gives parents authority over their children’s assets until the age of 18, meaning they can decide where a player signs, even if the youth club disagrees. In practice, clubs only receive a small training fee when these players depart, rather than a proper transfer fee.
Players in Argentina can sign professional contracts from the age of 16. The AFA’s new policy does not stop families from sending their children abroad.
Still, it removes the incentive of national team call-ups for those who were unanimously approved to defend the interests of clubs.
The case that pushed the rule forward was Lucas Scarlato, a 16-year-old midfielder who left River Plate for Parma in Italy. Scarlato had captained River’s under-16 side but never signed a professional deal.
River officials criticized the move and later filed a complaint with FIFA against his agent, Martin Ariel Guastadisegno, accusing him of breaking regulations. The agent defended himself, saying he acted in the player’s and his family’s best interests.
Legal experts say the measure does not break FIFA rules, since federations are free to set their own selection policies. Similar restrictions exist in other sports, such as England Rugby, which limits call-ups for players based abroad.
Whether the rule succeeds will depend on how strongly it is enforced and whether players value national team opportunities over contracts abroad.
For now, the AFA hopes the rule will keep more young stars grounded in Argentina before leaping to Europe.