Messi, Yamal and More: History of Barcelona’s Iconic No. 10 Shirt
From Alcántara to Messi and beyond, the Barcelona No. 10 shirt has been worn by some of football's greatest players. Let us go through the journey of this iconic number at FC Barcelona.
The iconic Barcelona No. 10 shirt has been worn by some of the greatest players in football history. From Paulino Alcántara to Lionel Messi, the shirt has been synonymous with excellence and brilliance. Here's a journey through the history of the Barcelona No. 10 shirt.
The Early Years
The first recorded wearer of the Barcelona No. 10 shirt was Paulino Alcántara, a Filipino forward who scored 395 goals in 399 matches for the club. Alcántara was a fitting pioneer, but squad numbers weren't regularly introduced to Spanish football until 1947. Henry Morris, an Anglo-Filipino football pioneer, is also listed as one of the first wearers of the No. 10 shirt, although this is disputed.
The Golden Era
The first true great to don the shirt weekly was Hungarian superstar László Kubala. Kubala scored 281 times for the club and teamed up with Luis Suárez, the 1960 Ballon d'Or winner, and Evaristo to dominate Spain in the late 1950s. Other notable wearers of the shirt during this era included Juan Manuel Asensi, a creative midfielder who spent a decade with the club and had almost 300 league appearances.
Maradona's Time
Diego Maradona's arrival at Barcelona in 1982 was a significant moment in the club's history. Maradona, already linked with the No. 10 shirt, spent two seasons at the club, but his best years were for Naples and the national team. Steve Archibald became the first British Barça No. 10 in 1984 and had massive success during his debut season as the Blaugrana claimed their first La Liga title in 11 years.
Short Stints
The 1990s saw a plethora of talent don the Barcelona No. 10 shirt, including Romário, Hristo Stoichkov, and Gheorge Hagi. Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' was laden with megastars despite the foreign player quotas. Pep Guardiola briefly played around with the shirt in 1991-92. Jari Litmanen struggled to settle in Barcelona, and the shirt was passed over to Rivaldo, who most certainly did it justice.
The Rivaldo Era
Rivaldo outlasted Louis van Gaal, who wanted him playing wide. After the change from No. 11 to 10, Rivaldo was the main man in Catalonia, and his first season with the No. 10 was perhaps his best with the club. He had 36 goals in all competitions and recorded ten assists in La Liga. His final-day hat-trick against Valencia is among the best in Spanish football history.
Riquelme-Ronaldinho
Juan Román Riquelme took over after Rivaldo left in 2002, but the Argentine's heroics were not prolific as the man to follow, Ronaldinho. The Brazilian's time at Catalonia was legendary and maybe became the best no.10 in the club's history till then. It wasn't just the numbers, but the magic he brought in his play that made his stint special. After five years, the iconic shirt was handed over to the greatest to ever wear it.
The Messi Legacy
Lionel Messi's ascension to the Barcelona No. 10 shirt in 2008 marked the beginning of a new era. Messi's incredible career, which included numerous records and accolades, cemented his status as arguably the greatest player in football history. Do we need to say more? Word aren't enough to describe the impact Messi had, and still has, in Barcelona and world football. Those records could never be broken and the magic is unlikely to be replicated.
The Post-Messi Era
Ansu Fati's brief tenure as the Barcelona No. 10 wearer after Messi was hyped but it was marked by injuries and unfulfilled promise. However, the club didn't have to wait long as the emergence of Lamine Yamal has brought a new level of excitement to the club. Yamal's otherworldly brilliance has ensured that Fati's swift demise never hung over the club, and the young star is poised to write his own chapter in the history of the iconic Barcelona No. 10 shirt.
