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Best Soccer Jersey Numbers: Who Wore What?

best soccer jersey Who Wore What?

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It is no secret that some jersey numbers are held with a certain prestige. But why?

To better understand soccer, you ought to go beyond watching a match by getting to know the personality and style of each of your favorite players.

You are bound to discover so many similarities between players, the jersey number being just one of them!

All around the world on various teams there are some jersey numbers which consistently tend to be worn by the best soccer players, thus, making them the best soccer jersey numbers.

And, interestingly, some players stick to one jersey number throughout their careers. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the players who, despite changing clubs, has stuck with the same jersey number. With every successive transfer to a new club, he gets the same jersey number.

I guess he has earned it, after all?

Soccer Jersey Number 10

Best Soccer Jersey Numbers - number 10

Jersey number 10 is the most popular for fans across the world. Some of the legends who have worn this number are Pele, Lionel Messi, and Diego Maradona.

These players are always a sensation, and they are the most valuable players on the pitch. All have a signature style that upcoming players hope to aspire to. Since the days of Pele, number 10 jersey players make every season unforgettable.

Lionel Messi is also on this number 10 jersey list. His achievements include a score of over 90 goals in one year. With him on the team, Barcelona won the Champions League four times.

Some fans swear that Diego Maradona, was the king of soccer. Wearing this jersey he made his famous 1986 goal which remains ingrained in the mind of every true soccer fan to this day!

Lionel Messi is one of the most prolific players in modern times. Some fans feel his growth is to the level of Diego, and he may outdo him in the future. Needless to say, they have both contributed immensely to the sport and done thier number 10 jersey legacy proud.

Most clubs seem to have felt the effects of this number’s mystical powers. Thus, it is one of the best soccer souvenirs for its legion of legendary soccer players. But there is only one player at the very top of the number 10 jersey list (not just in the jersey 10 group), and that is the maestro, Pele – the O Rei (king) of the soccer pitch who scored over 1200 goals in his career.

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Other notable players with this jersey number are:

  • Rivaldo
  • Lothar Matthaus
  • Ronaldinho
  • Michael Owen
  • Landon Donovan
  • Roberto Baggio
  • Wayne Rooney
  • Neymar Jr.
  • Kaka
  • Francesco Totti 
  • Michel Platini
  • Zinedine Zidane, a former midfielder and present Real Madrid manager, also wore a number 10 jersey.

Soccer Jersey Number 7

This jersey number also brings excitement to fans. It seems to have a list of reputable players from Manchester United. David Beckham, a former Manchester United midfielder, wore this number, and so did Eric Cantona.

Cristiano Ronaldo has had jersey number 7 for the longest time. He wore it in Manchester United, in Real Madrid, and he took it to Juventus in 2018. In Manchester United, he wanted a number 28 jersey. When the team handed him the famous number 7 jersey, he knew he had a task ahead because of its previous owners.

Cristiano’s transfer has always been an expensive investment for every club he joins. He transferred to Manchester United as a teen soccer player in 2003, and his signing cost the highest for a teen player in English soccer. In Juventus, Cristiano’s signing was the most expensive for a player of over 30 years, but his score stands at more than 60 goals and two wins in Series A. The Business Insider reports that his Juventus jersey raked in $60m in a day.

Other players with a number 7 jersey include

  • Luis Figo
  • George Best
  • Raul
  • Memphis Depay

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Soccer Jersey Number 11

Soccer Jersey Number 11

Ryan Giggs wore this number while playing for Manchester United, and his record is 13 wins in the Premier League. He has some of the most awards in soccer history, with players yet to break most of his records.

Didier Drogba also wore jersey number 11 in Chelsea, but he took another number when he transferred to Newcastle United in the 2006-2007 season.

Other noteworthy players are:

  • Luigi Riva
  • Mohamed Salah
  • Michael Laudrup
  • Ousmane Dembele

Jersey Number 8

Frank Lampard, a midfielder, scored over 200 goals for Chelsea. His dedication to Chelsea saw him take up the position of a coach before he became its manager.

Steven Gerrard also wore number 8, where he played for Liverpool for 17 years and moved to LA Galaxy from 2015 to 2016. In total, Steven Gerrard has 120 Premier League goals to his name and over 90 assists.

Other famous players under jersey number 8 are;

  • Socrates
  • Carlos Dunga.

Conclusion

According to the Bleacher Report, two of the best soccer jersey numbers are the highest selling ones! These are number 7 and number 10. Young soccer fans associate the number seven jersey with Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi makes ten a top jersey number.

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