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With Lionel Messi's transfer to PSG obtaining official status just two days after his Barcelona farewell, a legitimate doubt arose about his potential jersey number at the Parc des Princes. His former teammate Neymar has worn the elusive number 10 on his back ever since arriving at PSG in 2017. Therefore, speculation about Messi usurping the Brazilian's jersey number on his advent surfaced as soon as the transfer was confirmed.
But much to Neymar's relief, Lionel Messi chose to don the jersey number 30 on his back for his two-year stay in Paris. The former Barcelona legend is arguably the best player in the sport's history to flaunt the iconic number 10. However, prior to inheriting this spot from Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi had spent a decent amount of time wearing two distinctive jersey numbers.
Lionel Messi and his history with jersey numbers at Barcelona
The Argentine made his debut for Barcelona in 2004, coming on as a substitute in a 1-0 win against cross-town rivals Espanyol in a league match. To mark the historic event, Lionel Messi chose to pull on jersey number 30. The 'goat' quickly switched to number 19, wearing it for two whole seasons.
The figure seems to mean much more to Lionel Messi as he chose to reject Neymar's generous offer. After 12 years of dazzling audiences with his on-field magic, while donning the storied number 10 of Barcelona, the Argentinian veteran will finally slip into a completely foreign attire.
Keeping Lionel Messi's new number with PSG in mind, let's have a look at 5 of the best players who have worn the jersey number 30, at least once in their illustrious career:
#5 Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao | 2002-2003)
Aritz Aduriz spent his entire career in Spain, turning out for the likes of Mallorca, Valencia, and most notably, Athletic Bilbao. He joined the famed Lezama youth system at Bilbao at the not-so-young age of 19.
The Spaniard made his debut for Los Leones against Barcelona in 2002, going on to play just thrice for the rest of the season. Aduriz pulled on jersey number 30 during his maiden year in Bilbao, featuring for a paltry 54 minutes. A string of transfers followed before he returned to the Basque club for a third spell in 2012.
At the ripe old age of 31, Aduriz discovered his true form and experienced his most prolific years during this period. His consistent scoring propelled Bilbao from mid-table mediocrity to Europa League qualification on multiple occasions.
Aduriz famously scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 decimation of Lionel Messi's Barcelona in the Spanish Supercup, handing him his only silverware at club level. The Spaniard, who earned 13 caps for his country, retired in 2020, aged 39.
#4 David Luiz (Chelsea | 2016-2019)
David Luiz has had an interesting career, to say the least. After making a name for himself in the Portuguese Primeira Liga with Benfica, the enigmatic defender signed for Chelsea in 2011 for a sizeable fee of €25m. During his three years at Stamford Bridge, Luiz managed to win three trophies, including the coveted Champions League title.
His astute defensive skills, coupled with his masterful technique, prompted PSG to fork out a record €49.5m for the Brazilian, making him the most expensive defender at that time. Luiz enjoyed two trophy-laden seasons with the French giants before agreeing to a shock return to England with his former club, Chelsea.
It was during his second spell with the Blues that Luiz was granted jersey number 30, with Cesc Fabregas donning his former number 4. After winning the Premier League with Antonio Conte, Luiz fell out of favor under Maurizio Sarri and was subsequently sold to bitter-rivals Arsenal. The 34-year-old centre-back is currently without a club.
Also read: 5 major reasons that led to Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona
#3 Thiago Alcântara (Barcelona | 2010-2011)
Thiago is best known for donning the jersey number 6 throughout his career, wearing the renowned figure on his back for Bayern Munich and now Liverpool. The Spaniard had to go through several jersey numbers before settling on 11 during his Barcelona days. One of those numerous options just happened to be the same as the topic of this conversation: 30.
Thiago shares one more similarity with former teammate Lionel Messi. The Italy-born midfielder also came through the ranks of La Masia, starring for the B-team, and compelled Barcelona to take notice of his talents, just like the Argentine.
The midfield maestro was highly rated by Pep Guardiola and subsequently signed for him during his tenure as Bayern boss.
In Bavaria, Thiago established himself as one of the best deep-lying playmakers on the planet, winning multiple pieces of silverware with Bayern Munich. After a treble-winning 2019-20 season, the 30-year-old midfielder was signed by Liverpool for a cut-price rate of €22m. Despite experiencing a tumultuous debut season at Anfield, things are looking brighter for the Spanish international this term.
#2 Luca Toni (Fiorentina, Roma | 2005-2007 and 2012-2013, 2010)
A quintessential journeyman, Luca Toni was a true legend of the game. Having played for as many as 15 professional clubs, the flashy Italian registered over 300 goals during his 22-year long career. He is currently the fourth-highest Italian goalscorer of all time.
The sturdy striker represented the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus during his illustrious career. However, his best individual season came as a Fiorentina player, scoring a record-breaking 31 Serie A goals which won him the European Golden Shoe in 2006. He famously donned jersey number 30 on his back during his most prolific outings on the pitch.
Having finished as the top-scorer in almost all the competitions he participated in, Toni upped the ante by scoring 22 goals with Hellas Verona at the ripe old age of 38. The mercurial legend retired in 2016, after achieving this insurmountable feat.
#1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona, PSG | 2004-2006, 2021-)
Of course, it is Lionel Messi at number one. The man who ignited a conversation about jersey numbers, Messi has consistently dominated all headlines over the past few weeks, owing to his controversial move to PSG.
Despite agreeing to a reported 50 per cent wage cut in an attempt to extend his 21-year stay, he was unceremoniously ousted from Barcelona due to La Liga's austere regulations.
Lionel Messi subsequently became the most lucrative free agent of all time, with his current market value sitting at a whopping €80m. PSG quickly capitalized on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, signing the 34-year-old Argentine on a €40m pre-tax annual salary.
After rejecting Neymar's kind gesture, Lionel Messi was apparently left with the choices of numbers 19 and 30. PSG's backup goalkeeper Alexandre Letellier wholeheartedly agreed to vacate jersey number 30 to welcome the Argentine to the French capital.
With Lionel Messi choosing to reminisce on his youth over continuing his legacy with the fabled jersey number 10, his tenure at PSG is already off to a soothing start.
Also read: 5 iconic Lionel Messi goal celebrations for Barcelona
