10 Football Players who wore Number 10 Jersey. The most talented player to ever play the “beautiful game” is Lionel Messi.
In a match against Sheffield Wednesday in 1928, the brilliant Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman popularized the printing of team numbers on the back of jerseys.
His goal was to make his players conscious of the importance of paying attention to their respective field locations.
Starting with the goalkeeper, who wore the number 1 shirt, the numbers were assigned in ascending order.
Back then, teams all around the world used the 2-3-5 configuration most frequently. As a result, the team’s primary strikers wore the numbers 9 and 10 on the back of their shirts.
The custom of numbering, which the English football association first condemned, has since evolved into one of the most iconic things one can associate with a footballer.
Fans eagerly anticipate learning the player’s assigned jersey number whenever a team makes a new signing official.
This shows how much weight these numbers have been given.
The money made from shirt sales is a big topic of discussion in today’s football world.
The functions given to the previous Chapman squad numbers started to shift as new formations emerged. Since the 1950s, the number 10 has been saved exclusively for the team’s top performer.
Positionally, this number was linked to a second striker who was eventually designated as an attacking midfielder and, in some formations, a trequartista.
The best footballers to ever grace the pitch have worn the number 10 jersey, regardless of the position.
In light of that, let’s examine the top ten athletes who have ever donned the number 10 shirt during their brilliant careers.
#10 Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti, known as the Gladiator of Italian football and the golden kid of Rome, wore his loyalty to AS Roma on his sleeve throughout his playing career.
Totti has participated in a variety of intriguing formations, including False Nine, trequartista, Winger, and Pure Striker.
Whatever his position, the Italian has always thrived for his childhood team anytime he wore the recognizable red shirt.
Totti left a lasting impression at Roma and is unquestionably one of the greatest players to have ever worn the illustrious jersey.
#9 Denis Law
Denis Law, also known as “The Lawman” by the Old Trafford faithful, is regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play at the Theatre of Dreams.
He occupies a significant position in Manchester United legend.
Law has previously been referred to as the best player Sir Matt Busby has ever taught, which is an enormous accolade given the kind of athletes the famous Scotsman has steered.
Law was a dedicated athlete with a keen sense of goal, which led Sir Busby to use him as the second striker.
He wore the number 10 shirt when he captured the prized Ballon d’Or in 1964.
He was also one of the three attacking players that made up Manchester United’s Holy Trinity, together with George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.
#8 Roberto Baggio
Italian Hall of Famer Roberto Baggio, 1993’s recipient of FIFA’s World Player of the Year honor, requires no introduction.
Baggio, often known as “Il Divin Codino” or “the Divine Ponytail,” had a fruitful career for both club and country.
In addition to being one of Italy’s finest goal scorers with 27 international goals, he has more than 200 Serie A goals to his credit.
When Baggio played for Juventus, Inter Milan, and the Italian national team, he wore the number 10 jersey.
Throughout his career, he alternated between playing as an attacking midfielder and a second striker.
But as luck would have it, he will always be remembered for missing a penalty in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil, despite his incredible talent.
#7 Michel Platini
One of the best players that the lovely game ever produced was the Frenchman.
Along with his ingenuity, he was one of the best of his generation due to his prolific goal-scoring.
Platini, who wore the number 10 position, excelled at Saint-Etienne and Juventus while also contributing significantly to France’s victory in the 1984 Euro.
From 1983 to 1985, the Frenchman won three Ballon d’Or awards in a row. In 1999, he was named French Player of the Century.
Platini will always be recognized as a great leader on the football field and a masterful midfielder who could create works of art.
#6 Ronaldinho
Throughout his career, “Gaucho” wore a variety of jersey numbers, but his best years were spent with Barcelona, where he wore the enduring number 10.
A whole generation looked up to the slick, flamboyant midfielder, who also helped the Catalans usher in a new era.
He was able to captivate football fans with his elasticos and no-look passes because he possessed all the tricks in the book.
He won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and was named FIFA’s Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005.
Throughout his professional career, Ronaldinho did not consistently put up 30 goals or have a superb work ethic, but the delight he gave when he had the ball at his feet made him one of the most adored athletes of all time.
#5 Zico
One of the greatest playmakers in football history was Zico, often known as “The White Pele” during his playing days.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he became Brazil’s talisman thanks to his vision and excellent finishing.
He was regarded as the best player in the world at the time by pundits and football fans alike.
Zico, who played as a number 10, was the captain of the Brazil squad in the 1970s and 1980s, who put on quite a show with their flair and class.
Zico, who represented Brazil as a number 10 player, is still regarded as one of the best players who never captured the World Cup.
#4 Zinedine Zidane
It’s challenging to put into words a mysterious individual like Zinedine Zidane.
The Frenchman was one of the greatest attacking midfielders of his generation and was the most graceful footballer anyone had ever seen.
His pirouettes were works of beauty, and his goal for Real Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final is still regarded as one of the greatest goals in history.
Former Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano once said of him: “He makes it worthwhile going into the stadium.”
Such was the charisma and grace of the person whose career was tragically cut short by a red card in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy.
#3 Pele
The Brazilian, the first footballing megastar, captivated the world’s attention with his incredible wizardry and superb goal-scoring performances.
He wore the number 10 jersey for Brazil, where he helped win a World Cup record three times.
The attacking prowess of the Brazil team, which included Pele, is still unsurpassed by any team since.
Brazil is sometimes recognized as the greatest team in history.
Pele earned the moniker “King of Football” thanks to his incredible goal total and trophy collection.
#2 Diego Maradona
Maradona was more than just a football player. He saved both his nation and the teams he played for, Boca Juniors and Napoli.
Maradona was a one-man army who was able to become one of the greatest players the world had ever seen.
He scored a lot of remarkable goals while wearing the number 10 jersey, including the ‘goal of the century’ against England in 1986.
The Argentinian superstar was a brilliant trequartista with unmatched dribbling, a typical number 10.
The number 10 jersey was retired by Napoli in honor of their best player. He has secured a spot among the greats of the game thanks to his vision, goal-scoring prowess, and legacy.
#1 Lionel Messi
The Argentine represents the core principle of wearing the number 10 on the back, despite not having played in a typical number 10 position during his career.
According to legend, “La Pulga” is/was the best player on the club and typically wears the desired shirt.
Many detractors have claimed that Messi cannot be considered “the best of all time” since he does not have a World Cup to his credit, but one only needs to look at the statistics and the sheer volume of trophies that he has won to see why he is so brilliant.
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