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It’s official: Lamine Yamal is Barcelona’s new number 10 inheriting the iconic shirt having penned a new, incredibly lucrative contract with the Catalan powerhouse. It’s a shirt with a complex history, but plenty of its owners have claimed the Ballon d’Or down the years, and Yamal will want to be next.
As he follows in the footsteps of some greats of the game, the winger has vowed to forge his own path, saying: "I’m under no pressure; I’ll continue enjoying myself with a different number. I’m grateful for the club’s trust and I’ll try to continue that legacy."
However, the plight of previous incumbent Ansu Fati – another La Masia ‘wonderkid’ who has endured a sharp fall from grace – should serve as a warning as Yamal prepares to shoulder the weight of expectation at Camp Nou.
But who are the former wearers that the 18-year-old should be looking to emulate? Below, بالجم ranks the top 10 No.10s in Barcelona‘s storied history…
It’s official: Lamine Yamal is Barcelona’s new number 10, inheriting the iconic shirt having penned a new, incredibly lucrative contract with the Catalan powerhouse. It’s a shirt with a complex history, but plenty of its owners have claimed the Ballon d’Or down the years, and Yamal will want to be next.
As he follows in the footsteps of some greats of the game, the winger has vowed to forge his own path, saying: “I’m under no pressure; I’ll continue enjoying myself with a different number. I’m grateful for the club’s trust and I’ll try to continue that legacy.”
However, the plight of previous incumbent Ansu Fati – another La Masia ‘wonderkid’ who has endured a sharp fall from grace – should serve as a warning as Yamal prepares to shoulder the weight of expectation at Camp Nou.
But who are the former wearers that the 18-year-old should be looking to emulate? Below, بالجم ranks the top 10 No.10s in Barcelona’s storied history…
As you’re about to discover, a plethora of wonderful Brazilian players have donned the famous No.10 down the years, but Evaristo was the very first almost 70 years ago.
Bestowed that honour way back in 1957, the centre-forward plundered 105 goals in just 151 appearances across five seasons after leaving his home country, winning the Spanish title twice. Controversially, he would go on to join Real Madrid, where he was markedly less successful, but his reputation at Camp Nou remains intact.
Undoubtedly the best Romanian footballer of all time and one of the finest attacking midfielders on his generation, Hagi graced Barcelona’s No.10 shirt after crossing the Clasico divide in 1994 having previously plied his trade at Real Madrid.
Despite his injury problems, Hagi’s two-year stay at Camp Nou was still littered with moments of pure magic, resulting in him having the rare honour of being adored by both Barca and Real fans 30 years on.
Before Luis Suarez there was… Luis Suarez. One of the greatest Spanish players of all time, he took on the No.10 during the 1950s and early 60s, briefly wearing the No.11 in the days before fixed squad numbers.
He was awarded the Ballon d’Or in 1960, becoming the first Spaniard to claim the prize, not long before he departed the club for Inter, where he would also achieve legendary status.
One of a host of Barcelona players to win the Ballon d’Or with the No.10 on his back, Bulgaria hero Stoichkov enjoyed his best years at Camp Nou in the shirt.n
Forming a formidable striker partnership with Brazilian legend Romario, whom he often shared the jersey with, he secured a Golden Ball in 1993-94 season off the back of a prolific, title-winning campaign.
One of many Brazilian icons to play for Barcelona, Romario shared the No.10 with attacking partner Stoichkov in the days before fixed shirt numbers. His time at the club was short, intense but often sweet, too.
Arriving from PSV in 1993, his debut season was outrageous: he bagged 32 times en route to winning a Liga title with Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’, including a Clasico hat-trick against Real Madrid. It’s a shame that his time at Camp Nou was so brief, as he returned to Brazil in 1995 after falling out with his Dutch coach.
While Real Madrid’s Ferenc Puskas is the Hungarian hero most people are familiar with, Kubala is an icon in his own right on the other side of the Clasico rivalry.
The forward wore the No.10 in four different seasons across a trophy-laden decade with Barcelona, scoring a ridiculous 193 times in just over 250 appearances for the Blaugrana, including 19 in 26 games during a prolific debut campaign. He would manage the club after hanging up his boots and has been honoured with a statue outside Camp Nou.
Another Brazilian superstar who forms a big part of Barcelona’s storied history, Rivaldo earned the No.10 shirt having won the Ballon d’Or in 1999.n
Often carrying the team during a difficult, transitional period, he made a ridiculous 33 La Liga goal contributions in 2000-01, including a hat-trick against Valencia – completed courtesy of an outrageous bicycle-kick – to seal Champions League qualification. He left the following year, but his impact will never be forgotten.
The first of two Argentine icons on this list, Maradona only spent two seasons with Barcelona before his fateful move to Napoli, but he still made a lasting impression at Camp Nou and claimed a league title.
Despite being plagued by injuries, Diego would become a fans’ favourite after arriving for Boca Juniors for £5m in 1982, a world-record sum at the time, plundering 38 goals in 58 games and laying on 23 more with the number 10 on his back. However, his spell at Camp Nou ended in infamy as he found himself at the centre of a mass brawl against Athletic Club during the 1984 Copa del Rey final.
On his day, Ronaldinho was simply unplayable; one of the most skilful players of all time, his technique and imposing physique made him a nightmare for defenders during his time at Barca between 2003 and 2008, where he took the No.10 after arriving from Paris Saint-Germain.
In 2005, on his way to winning La Liga and a Ballon d’Or, the Brazilian famously earned a standing ovation from all corners of Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu after a dominant individual display in El Clasico. Ronaldinho would also win the Champions League the following year and was the smiling face of Barcelona’s early-noughties revival before passing the mantle onto the next man on this list…
Who else? Messi is arguably the greatest player of all time, let alone the greatest Barcelona player ever to don the No.10 shirt. Having initially worn the No.30 during his breakout years before transitioning to the No.19 (like Yamal), Messi was handed the No.10 in 2008.
The Argentine genius won no fewer than seven Ballons d’Or, eight La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues while wearing the jersey, scoring 624 goals with those digits on his back before his acrimonious and unwanted exit to PSG in 2021 amid the Blaugrana’s financial turmoil.
Potentially the best to ever do it, Barcelona fans will probably be delighted if Yamal comes anywhere close to emulating Messi’s exploits at Camp Nou.
