Brazil superstar Neymar and legendary forward Rivaldo have sparked controversy after seemingly suggesting that a certain player does not deserve to wear the nation's famous No. 10 jersey.
Click through the gallery above for images of some of Brazil's famous No. 10s
On Friday, Brazil went head to head with arch-rivals Argentina in the annual Clasico del Atlantico, with the record five-time FIFA World Cup champions, who were without injured star player Neymar, ultimately suffering a 1-0 defeat courtesy of a goal by Lionel Messi.
After the match, 1999 Ballon d'Or winner Rivaldo, who scored 35 goals in 74 appearances for the Selecao and was part of the nation's 2002 World Cup triumph, voiced his displeasure about manager Tite's decision to give Lucas Paqueta the No. 10 jersey.
The AC Milan midfielder delivered an underwhelming performance and was substituted for Philippe Coutinho at the start of the second half, much to Rivaldo's consternation.
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"I saw the match between Brazil and Argentina, and I was very sad to see what happened with shirt 10," the former FC Barcelona star posted on Instagram, as reported by AS.
"They gave Paqueta shirt 10 against Argentina. This number is respected worldwide.
"This shirt is not meant to be on the bench, let alone go off at half-time, because it is the shirt the world knows and respects because it was worn and honoured by Pele, Rivelino, Zico, Rivaldo, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Neymar.
"Paqueta is not to blame, but the coaches are, because they know the weight of the shirt, which could also end up burning the 22-year-old who can have a great future for the Brazilian team.
"Just as Tite wanted to protect Rodrygo, who is playing very well at Real Madrid. For this game, I could have protected Paqueta from playing with that shirt.
"We all know that Brazil and Argentina will never be a friendly match."
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Neymar, who regularly wears the No. 10 jersey for Brazil when fit, later added fuel to Rivaldo's controversial comment when his account "liked" the post on Instagram.
Do you think the No. 10 jersey should only be worn by Brazil's star players? Share your thoughts by commenting below.
