The coveted jersey number 10 is the most famous and closely associated football jersey with a certain position or player type. A team’s chief playmaker is frequently seen wearing the number 10. A striker who scores goals consistently and doesn’t need to be unlocked. Many illustrious dynasties have been created around the number 10 in football history. In this post, we’ll take a look at five well-known football players who have worn the number 10 jersey.
5 Famous Footballers With Jersey Number 10
#5 Ronaldinho
With his creativity and crazy talents, Ronaldinho gave the number 10 a new significance. Messi’s showboating was never a problem while wearing the number 10 jersey for Barcelona, as he regularly contributed to his team’s scoring. He also received a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans for his excellent performance in an El Clasico victory.
Ronaldinho scored 98 goals in 207 appearances for Barcelona and was named the Ballon d’Or winner in 2005. He was also a member of the Brazilian team that won the World Cup in 2002.
#4 Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane never wore number 10 in club football, but it was his favorite jersey with the France national team. He scored two goals in 1998 final while wearing the number 10, and France took home the prize. In 2000, he was named man of the tournament at EURO 2000 when he guided France to European Championship victory.
Zidane missed the 2002 World Cup because he was injured. France was eliminated in the group stage due to Zidane’s absence. In the 2004 European Championship, Zinedine Zidane led France to a fourth-place finish. He retired from football after the 2006 World Cup. Zinedine Zidane scored 31 goals for his country, including a record three in the World Cup.
#3 Diego Maradona
Without a doubt, Diego Maradona was the greatest player of his era, and perhaps the most worshipped athlete in history. He was also the real heir to Pele, having played in two World Cup finals and winning one in 1986. After an illustrious playing career at Barcelona, Maradona transferred to Napoli and almost single-handedly won the Serie A championship.
Maradona’s influence at Napoli is unrivaled, as the club has yet to win a league title, even after nearly three decades since Maradona’s departure. Maradona would have won more honors in his profession if it weren’t for his drug addiction and troubled personal life.
#2 Lionel Messi
The number 10 jersey has become so closely associated with Messi in the last decade or two that it is now commonly known as “El Flaco.” While many people want Barcelona and Argentina to retire the jersey once Leo Messi hangs up his cleats, others want it to be worn permanently. Since 2008, the number 10 jersey has been worn by Lionel Messi for Barcelona, and he has made it his own with unforgettable performances.
Messi had to go through many disappointments when wearing number 10 for Argentina, as the team lost three consecutive major tournaments. Finally, in 2021, he redeemed himself by leading Argentina to victory in Copa America and topping Messi’s scoring chart.
#1 Pele
Pele was a well-rounded forward who managed to score goals at every opportunity. He lit up the 1958 World Cup, and he even scored in the final, still the youngest player to accomplish so. He won the World Cup for a third time in 1970, becoming the first player to repeat as champion.
He was one-of-a-kind at Santos, with his clinical goalscoring capabilities breaking all previous records. In a 16-year career, Pele played for Santos from 1956 to 1974 and scored over 500 goals. In 2000, Beckenbauer was selected as the FIFA player of the century in addition to Diego Maradona.
Conclusion
This blog post has covered five famous footballers who wear the jersey number 10. We hope you found it interesting and helpful to learn more about this iconic piece of equipment in sports, which is mostly seen on players’ backs when they’re kicking a ball around. Now that you know all there is to know about the history of the number ten, what do you think? Would you be interested in wearing or gifting one for your favorite player? If so, let us know on our store page!
