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Since the inception of the beautiful game, jersey numbers have been of utmost significance. Over the years, some of those numbers have attained iconic status among fans and supporters around the world. The shirt numbers 7 and 11 always attract the attention of the crowd, but it is the No. 10 jersey that has been donned by some of the greatest players to have graced the game.
The No.10 signifies excellence, sublime technique and at times, magic. Attacking midfielders oozing with skills, lethal goalscorers scoring for fun, or crafty playmakers churning up unbelievable skills in the centre of the park, the No. 10 jersey has represented some stellar names over the years. Even now, some brilliant players wear the iconic number, but who are the top 4 among them all?
Read on to find out.
#4 Paulo Dybala (Argentina, Juventus)
The Argentine was handed the coveted No. 10 jersey at Juventus at the start of last season. Paulo Dybala joined Juventus from Palermo at the start of the 2015/16 season and immediately caught the eye with his abilities on the pitch.
He is a technically gifted player, with a glorious left foot that reminded everyone of his countryman, Lionel Messi. Dybala started to impress in Turin and became a household name in the 2017/18 season when he managed to score 26 goals from 46 appearances for the Old Lady.
Dybala has worn just 3 jersey numbers during his club playing career. He started his professional career with the No. 9 shirt at Instituto de Córdoba in the second division in Argentina, where he was nicknamed La Joya. After securing a move to Palermo in the summer of 2012, Dybala continued to wear the same shirt and sizzled on the field. His performances earned him a move to Juventus, where he shifted to the No. 21 shirt.
The No. 10 shirt was worn by Paul Pogba when the Argentine arrived in the 2015/16 season. After the Frenchman's departure in the following year, it was increasingly clear that Dybala was the deserved heir to the iconic number.
Since then, Dybala has shown that he has all the qualities that are desired in a No. 10. He is skilful, crafty and has the vision to match his abilities. With the ball at his feet, he gives the impression that he could achieve the impossible.
However, Dybala does not wear the No. 10 shirt for his country but remains one of the contenders for the coveted shirt in the future. He has worn the numbers 22, 21, 19 and 7 for Argentina, before permanently settling on the No. 21 shirt since the 2016/17 season.
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#3 Sadio Mane (Senegal, Liverpool)
The Senegalese has been phenomenal for Liverpool in the last couple of seasons and has even managed to outshine Mohamed Salah of late. Sadio Mane is one of the most important players in Jurgen Klopp’s team and his rise in the world of football can be ascertained from the fact that he is one of the contenders for the Ballon d’Or this year.
The Senegalese started his career at FC Metz, where he wore the No. 33 shirt in the 2011/12 season, and then briefly wore the No. 21 shirt in the following year, before his move to RB Salzburg in the summer of 2012.
At the Austrian side, Mane was handed the No. 40 shirt in his first season. From the 2013/14 season, the Senegalese was promoted to the No. 10 shirt. On his arrival at Southampton in the 2014/15 season, Mane continued to wear the coveted number and was so impressive that eventually Klopp and Liverpool came calling in the summer of 2016.
Mane had to shift to the No. 19 jersey for his first two seasons, as Philippe Coutinho had the No. 10 at Anfield.
The Brazilian left in January 2017, clearing the way for Mane to don his favoured number. He was subsequently handed the No. 10 shirt at Anfield ahead of the 2018/19 season and went on to justify the decision by winning the Premier League Golden Boot and also powering his club to the UEFA Champions League trophy.
The Senegalese shuffled between the No. 9 and No. 10 shirt for his country for the initial years. Since the 2015/16 season, Mane has been wearing the No. 10 shirt for Senegal and has been worth his weight in gold for both club and country.
#2 Neymar (Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain)
The Brazilian is another player who wears the same shirt number for club and country. Neymar started his career with Santos in his native country, where he rose through the ranks and caught the notice of the whole world.
Barcelona were the first to react, beating the crowd to secure his signature. Neymar joined the Catalans in the summer of 2013 and soon became one of the best players in the world. Together with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, the Brazilian formed a spectacular frontline that spread fear into the hearts of the opposition's defence.
Until then, Neymar had worn the No. 11 jersey all through his club career. In the summer of 2017, the Brazilian decided to move out of Messi’s shadow at the Camp Nou and switched to Paris to join Paris Saint-Germain. He was handed over the No. 10 jersey, previously worn by fellow South American Javier Pastore and also by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Even though he has been riddled with injuries since the move, the Brazilian has managed to turn heads at the French capital, wowing fans with his trickery and his ability to score goals. As of now, Neymar has scored 55 times in 63 appearances for PSG and is one of the best No. 10s in world football.
The Brazilian started by wearing the No. 11 jersey for his nation too. Since the 2012/13 season, Neymar has switched to the No. 10 jersey for Brazil as well.
#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona)
The Barcelona No. 10 jersey has been worn by some stellar names in the history of the club. Hristo Stoichkov, Romario, Rivaldo, Juan Roman Riquelme, and Ronaldinho are just a few of the brilliant names who have added value to the already legendary shirt number.
Similarly, the No. 10 jersey in the Argentina national team is also one of the most iconic numbers in the history of the game. Mario Kempes, Pablo Aimar, Riquelme and the indomitable Diego Maradona ensured that the No. 10 shirt for the national team was a part of the football folklore.
Now imagine a player who has been bestowed with the iconic shirt for both teams and has managed to surpass history in both colours. That perhaps summarizes what an absolute genius Lionel Messi is.
The Argentine started his career with the No. 30 for Barcelona, and also wore the No. 19 shirt for two seasons. It was the time when Ronaldinho was winning hearts as the Barcelona No. 10.
In the national team, Messi shifted between the No. 18 and the No. 19 shirt, while also donning the No. 15 jersey in the Olympics.. At around the same time, in the 2008/09 season, Lionel Messi took over the No. 10 jersey for both Barcelona and Argentina; he had certainly earned it.
Since then, the Barcelona skipper has won every trophy and award a footballer possibly can and has entertained football fans around the world with unbelievable consistency. He is a magician with the ball at his feet, the epitome of perfection on the pitch.
Messi, without doubt, is the best No. 10 in world football right now.
