Jim Gordon, Retired soccer ref (~3500 assorted matches), ex-ref instructor, ex-coach, Div 3 pro team manager, local and...
Answered Oct 16, 2019 · Author has 8.9k answers and 26.8m answer views
Why is the number 10 so significant in soccer?
Soccer football player numbers traditionally reflect the position the person plays. The tradition is that the positions are sequentially numbered from the back of the formation, so that the goalkeeper wears number 1 and the highest numbers are worn by the forwards attacking the opponents’ goal. In a formation with two or three forwards, the number 10 player might be playing in front of the goal.
There is great cachet in wearing the number worn by many of the most famous players in the game. The number 10 has assumed such significance that it is often given to a star player, regardless of his position.
Updated Oct 22, 2017 · Author has 273 answers and 802.5k answer views
Traditionally number ‘10’ in football is now worn exclusively by the greatest players.
The No. 10 jersey in soccer carries with it a certain cache, a sense of prestige, a sign of respect. For as long as I can remember, the 10 shirts have been the hottest commodity on the youth level and what the best players strive toward earning.
But how did that come about? It’s partially because the game’s all-time greats, including Pele and Diego Maradona, donned the number while starring on the biggest stages for their countries. A generation of children worldwide grew up idolizing everything about them, from their fancy footwork to their passing panache to the shirts on their backs. Kids identified with everything about them, extending to what number they wore.
Going even further into the way-back machine, there are reasons why Pele and Maradona wore the No. 10. Per our friends at Business Insider, numerical designations from 1-11 were given to players based on their position. Historically, goalkeepers wore No. 1 and forwards wore No. 10 and 11. Wingers, typically wearing No. 7 and 11, later drifted into the midfield, leaving the No. 10 up top.
Usually, you want your best all-around, offensive-minded players at the forward position, so lots of creative playmakers were assigned the No. 10. That trend just stuck over the years, although there’s no numerical system nowadays. The tradition of paying homage to the sport’s icons, though, continues.
Several of the marquee players in this World Cup wear the coveted No. 10 for their countries. Lionel Messi, Neymar, Wayane Rooney, Wesley Sneijder, Karim Benzama and Lukas Podolski currently have the honors in Brazil. They’re the latest in a long list of stars to do so that includes iconic names like Michael Owen, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Baggio and yes, Landon Donovan.
The mysterious persona behind wearing the No. 10 jersey has taken on a life of its own over the years. A player filling “the No. 10 role” even has become a talking point for experts and pundits. It comes with immense pressure – which the game’s greats relish.
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