Ranking Some of Barcelona’s Greatest Number 10s As Lamine Yamal Next in Line for Iconic Jersey

Ranking Some of Barcelona’s Greatest Number 10s As Lamine Yamal Next in Line for Iconic Jersey

Byron Pillay
March 29, 2024 at 4:35 PM
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  • Lionel Messi is the greatest player ever to wear Barcelona's iconic number 10 jersey
  • Diego Maradona spent two seasons at the Catalan club and wore the number 10 jersey
  • Barcelona were blessed to have two Brazilian superstars, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho

Lamine Yamal is only 16, but he’s already made a name for himself on the global footballing stage.

The youngster has already cemented his place in Barcelona’s first-team squad and has also made his debut for the Spanish national team.

Lamine Yamal is next in line to be handed Barcelona's iconic number 10 jersey.
Sports Brief looks at some of the greatest players to wear Barcelona's number 10 jersey, including Lionel Messi, as Lamine Yamal is next in line. Image: Xavier Bonilla/ Pedro Salado.
Source: Getty Images

Yamal is now set to receive another honour, as the club are reportedly set to hand him the number 10 jersey at the end of the season, Barca Universal noted.

Some of the greatest players have worn the iconic jersey, and Sports Brief looks at four of the best.

Ranking Barcelona’s best number 10s

4 – Diego Maradona

One of the greatest of all time, Maradona spent two years with the Spanish side.

As Catalan News reported, his time at the club was more renowned for controversies than trophies, but he still achieved quite a bit.

The Argentinian great played just 58 games for the Blaugrana, but scored an impressive 38 goals and notched up 23 assists.

During his time with the side, he also helped the team win a Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup title .

3 – Rivaldo

The Brazilian made 235 appearances for the Blaugrana, scoring 130 goals in the process.

He spent three seasons at the side, but only one of those with the number 10 jersey.

His season with the iconic jersey proved to be his most successful, as he scored 36 goals that season, including a spectacular hat-trick against Valencia.

All three goals were so good that not even Lionel Messi’s goals can compare.

2 - Ronaldinho

If Barca fans were in awe of Brazilian flair when Rivaldo was around, they were certainly blown away when Ronaldinho arrived.

Signed from Paris Saint-Germain, he transformed how the game was played, leaving rivals and teammates amazed by his talent.

He won the La Liga title twice with the side and the Champions League once, and was one of the few Barca stars to get a standing ovation from Real Madrid supporters.

Bernabeu reported that the Santiago Bernabeu had everyone on their feet applauding him after his performance in 2005.

1 - Lionel Messi

There’s no denying that Messi is not only the greatest number 10 in the club’s history, he’s also their greatest player.

The World Cup winner scored 672 goals in 778 appearances and won La Liga 10 times and the UEFA Champions League four times.

The Argentinian set many records in the league and left behind a legacy that will likely never be matched.

Ansu Fati handed iconic number 10 shirt

Being awarded the legendary number 10 jersey at the club comes with much pressure, and not all players can handle it.

Sports Brief previously reported how 18-year-old Ansu Fati was given the responsibility of continuing the legacy at the La Liga side.

The youngster has been compared to Messi since graduating from the La Masia Academy and has set a few records since making his debut.

Authors
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Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.