Why Football Shirt Numbers are Different By Country

For me, it has always been
GK 1
RB 2
Cb 4,5
LB 3
CDM 6
CM 8
CAM 10
RW 7
LW 11
ST 1

Funny story about Brazil. Here, the numbering depends on the local adaptation of the WM in the so called diagonal system. It basically depended on which half back dropped to the line and was kept more offensively . Usually it was the left half back, but occasionally it was the right half back, in which case the number of the right back was 4 and not 2, reading 6, 3, 2, 4. Just like the Argentinian case. Some Brazilian clubs, like Corinthians and Fluminense, held to this tradition right up to the '90's.

12 is the number of the og super sub

I’ve never been a fan of squad numbers I prefer the old way starting players get 1-11 and subs get the rest.

It's not uncommon in the United States for keepers to wear 0 and 00 at youth and teen levels

I'm not sure but I think it was on Euro84 that the portuguese national team mix up numbers and used a completely random number selection to confuse the man marking system of their opponents.

They've reached the semi finals and only lost against Platini's France on their home soil.

in the 1970s and early 1980s the Argentinian world cup squads were numbered alphabetically, which could look a bit weird, with goalkeepers with number 5 or 7 (Fillol) and midfield players with number 1 (Ardiles)

It’s interesting to compare with Rugby Union where the sport abandoned a brief flirtation with squad numbers in the 90s and has stuck rigidly to a position based 1-15 system ever since. Even though the positions and their numbers are not formally defined in the rules of either sport the numbers and their positions are the same worldwide in rugby union even if the names of the positions are not always the same. Tinkering with the numbers and their positions is frowned upon. Whereas even when football was 1-11 playing a number in the ‘wrong’ position was common. I remember a Nottingham Forest match where Brian Clough played his son Nigel at right back but Nigel wore 9 because that was his normal number.

Trent Alexander Arnold is a text book definition of a 66. John Terry was a key figure in the evolution of the no. 26 role. Despite being a 14, Thierry Henry was rarely a second substitute and usually started. Fabien Barthez totally re-defined the number 16 role.

When I was playing amateur football in the seventies, lads would automatically grab their favourite shirt, centre forwards would grab the 9, team loudmouth would grab the 10 and because of Best, Keegan, etc, the 7 caused a fight. I always grabbed the 11 first as nobody wanted it.

In the 70ies, 80ies and 90ies (at least) in Italy 2 was right back, 3 left back, 5 stopper (centre back) and 6 was the sweeper (Scirea, Baresi...) number 4 was a centre midfielder, usually a holding mid.

Fantastic video. You are absolutly right about the numbers in Brazil. I’m brazilian. Congratulations

Very informative, but it still doesn't touch the mystery of Liga MX numbering. Literally can choose from 000-999.

Fascinating …

“…like Fernando Redondo… okay Lucas Biglia” lmfao 😂

Funny how the first formation, 2-3-5, is very similar to what teams look like nowadays when in attack. History has come full circle

Strikers with attitude issues #45, winger converted to CM #31, winger /Striker #14, a year to late but still great propper soccer intelligence, thank you tifo, Joe devine?

a lovely piece of history

FIFA need to impose rules to force teams to keep to shirt number traditions. First team players should also be banned from wearing numbers over 25.

I am a goalkeeper and I use number 23

Can You Make video on Football Logos and history behind them ??......
plz reply !!!!!

lol this explains a lot of the confusion we had playing in an international school with lads from all over... had a great german defensive guy that played as '6' which, me playing goalkeeper and being from Argentina, meant that he should stayed in the defensive....and the guy just keep going back to the midfield while I screamed at him savagely to get back down....20 years later, now I know why

what number should I be? I am a very pacey right wing that has a pretty balanced style on the pitch, not a huge goalscorer but can finish if I get the oppurtunity

bale started out as a left back at spurs and retained his number when he went to left wing, always thought that was a wig out

Why only Man U 7s

No Jairziniho, Matthews, Keegan, Dalglish

Umm has nobody realised that they played with 2 defenders basically ana 5 attacker??? Who cares about defending just outscore the opponent...

Back in my country, which I won't mention, Ronaldo fanboys wear 7 while Messi fanboys wear 10. Playing in a dusty bumpy ground, sometimes there are two Messis and Ronaldos in a match.

I really like the traditional use of shirt numbers - I used to wear my favourite number, 2 and I was a right back.
I heard that Steven Gerrard didn't want to wear 10 for England, preferring number 4 as that's what he saw as his role.

In Germany you usually call the deepest midfielder "Sechser" (nr.6), the one ahead "Achter" (nr.8) and if there´s a third one that´s even more attacking you´d call that one "Zehner" (nr.10) to the extent that some people get confused once you say "attacking midfielder" instead of "Zehner".

Germany's number policy be like: "yeah whatever" with some of the best players wearing substitute numbers like 16 (Fritz Walter, Philipp Lahm), 13 (Gerd Müller, Michael Ballack, Thomas Müller) or 18 (Klinsmann, Kroos)

less interesting thatn i was expecting

Football must've been super fun when 2-3-5 was the norm!

The expectation on the next player who wears number 10 for Barcelona will be massive

Me as a manager in fm: the young star will get honor to wear number 69.

I noticed the 13 in spain is really popular for goalkeepers, why is that?

if i get a pro/semi-pro contract im takin up no.65

GK - 1
RB - 2
CB's - 4 + 5
LB - 3
CDM - 6
CM - 8
CAM - 10
RW/LW - 7/11
ST - 9

One of my favourite Easter eggs about shirt numbers is that in the 2010 World Cup, Xavi and Iniesta swapped their Barcelona shirt numbers - Xavi wearing 8 and Iniesta wearing 6.

i would like to know the Spain explanation. Why does Xavi wear the No 6?

Shirt numbers are a bit of a joke now with 21 etc. What’s wrong with 2 right back 3 left back etc etc etc

"But at times number 7 is more linked with players"
>Doesn't mention Ronaldo. (maybe too many Manchester United players?)
Also didn't mention Messi for 10.

In Italy, squad numbers are pretty much irrelevant, but here's what they would do.

3-5-2 formation

GK: 1 (obviously)
CBs: 3,5, and 2 (from left to right)
DMs: 4 and 6 (alternatively 6 could be a regista)
CAM: 8
LM: 11
RM: 7
STs: 9 and 10 (9 is the pure striker and 10 could be either a striker or a CF)

This is harder to understand than calculus sheesh

Funny fact, guardiola played with jersey numbers 3, 10 and 4 in Barcelona. Now I get the 4, but 3 and 10...kkkk

Regarding the brazilian defensive line, usually it is a 6, 4 , 3 and 2. The right defender is 3 and left 4, opposite to what the video says.

Nu clue were u took the information from but someone missinformed u in germany its a "sechser" no sechses

No way 7 is more associated with Cantona/Best than CRonaldo.

6 - CDM
8- box to box
2 and 4 - CB
3 - fullback
7 and 11 - wingers
10 - the magician
9 - finisher
5- can be anything

That's how I see the numbers