These two labels are both closely tied to the position we're discussing today.Įssentially, a Number 10 in soccer is an attacking player who operates in the spaces between midfield and attack, with key parallels with the trequartista position (one of the primary differences being that the Number 10 label is one that is used largely by English football fans). The trequartista role was coined in Italy in reference to players who operate roughly "three-quarters" of the way up the pitch in the margins between midfield and attack, while Germany talisman Thomas Muller came up with his own term to describe the role he occupies at club side Bayern Munich: the raumdeuter, literally meaning "space investigator". Over the years, attacking midfield players have been given a wide variety of different labels by different fans, coaches and pundits across the world. We'll explain what a number 10 in soccer does, detail the key duties, responsibilities and qualities associated with this role, and ultimately answer the question: why is number 10 special in football? What Is A Number 10 In Soccer? In this article, we'll guide you through why that is. Demarcating not just a rough area of the pitch, but also a unique creative role within the team, this is a number that holds much importance to many fans and players across the world.
Perhaps the most glamorous and widely-mythologised shirt number of all is the Number 10. In the decades since, certain shirt numbers have developed a level of cultural significance, and we've come to associate different digits with different skills and responsibilities. It was after this that the traditional system, moving up from #1 for the goalkeeper to #11 for the left midfield or wing (traditionally speaking) gradually became the norm. Shirt numbers were first introduced into professional football in the late 1920s, although it wasn't until the 1954 World Cup that players wore the same number throughout the duration of a competition.