Jersey numbers also aid in effective communication among teammates during matches, helping them coordinate plays and strategies. Imagine watching a match without any numbers on the jerseys – it would be challenging to identify the players and follow the game effectively. They serve as a means of identification, allowing fans, coaches, and teammates to easily recognize and differentiate players on the field. In the game of soccer, jersey numbers play a vital role for several reasons. Why Jersey Numbers are Important in Soccer? Despite the establishment of squad numbers, jerseys 1 to 11 are often given to the first choice line-up according to their positions on the field. The jersey number traditionally denotes the position of a soccer player. Players often get to pick their own number. The numbers 1-11 are considered the ‘traditional’ jersey numbers in soccer, but any number up to 99 can be used. Each player on a team wears a different number to the others. Soccer jersey numbers are numbers on the back of a soccer player’s jersey that identify a specific player. John Terry’s Legendary Number 26 Jersey.Historical Significance of Certain Numbers.7, 8, and 10: Central Midfielders and Attacking Midfielders.

Why Jersey Numbers are Important in Soccer?.The number 10 represents the team’s playmaker, the player that pulls the strings and creates goal-scoring chances for their team. Pelé performed the role of a number 10 as no other player had before him. You can spend many hours arguing over who the GOAT in soccer is (and you can find out my opinion here!), but many people would put Pelé at the top of their list. One number that arguably surpassed all the others was the number 10.Īnd one reason this number rose to prominence is that great players such as Pelé are associated with it. However, over time, the significance of specific numbers rose above others. Position Numberįor more information on jersey numbers and why they’re used, check out my article – Soccer Jersey Numbers: What they mean and why they are used. This is because it carries a certain significance, and players want to proudly display the number on their back.īut this importance is a consequence of players that have gone before them, such as Pelé.īack in 1958, jersey numbers such as the 7, 9, or 10 didn’t have the same prestige or significance that they now carry.īack when Pelé began wearing the number 10 it was simply a consequence of a player’s position on the field rather than anything to do with the individual player.įor example, the goalie would wear the number 1 jersey, a winger would wear the number 7, and the playmaker of the team would wear the number 10, as you can see in the table below. In modern-day soccer, some of the best players strive to wear the number 10 jersey. The Significance of Pelé Wearing the Number 10 Jersey He even wore the number 10 in the two seasons he played for the New York Cosmos between 1975-77. He wore the number 10 jersey from the first game of the next season for his club Santos and for every game he played for them for the next 16 years. He embraced the responsibility of wearing the number 10 and ended the tournament as a World Cup winner and the top scorer.Īfter this, Pelé refused to wear any other number than the number 10. When the 1958 FIFA World Cup came around, Pelé was still young but ready to make an impact. Although he scored his first goal for Brazil in that game, Brazil lost 2-1 to Argentina.

He had been highly impressive in his first years playing for Brazilian soccer club Santos after making his debut as a 15-year-old in September 1956 and earned his first cap for the Brazil national team in July 1957. History of Pele Wearing the Number 10 JerseyĪt the point Pelé began wearing the number 10 in 1958, he was still a young man. “Nobody thought that it was important to wear the No.10 and even though I was not the oldest player in the squad, it coincidentally dropped to me to wear at the World Cup”. “The No.10 jersey was given to me at a World Cup match in 1958,” he said. So, the tournament officials randomly assigned the numbers, and Pelé ended up with the number 10.ĭespite the fact that he was only 17 years old and new to the squad, what would become one of the most iconic numbers in modern-day soccer landed on his shoulders. When he first joined up with the Brazil team for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, the Brazilian Federation submitted the squads player list to FIFA without any numbers allocated to the players.īut to appear in a game, all players needed a number. Pelé himself has stated that it was by accident that he started wearing the number 10 shirt.

Soccer jersey numbers by position