The 21 Greatest Number 10s in Football History

The shirt has passed from World Cup winners to cult heroes of smaller nations. Some here won everything; others carried a country on their own.

1. 1
   Diego Maradona

   Argentina's 1986 World Cup captain and Napoli's two-time Serie A champion in the No. 10.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Pelé

   Brazil's three-time World Cup winner who made the No. 10 shirt famous at Santos and for the Seleção.
   774pts
3. 3
   Alessandro Del Piero

   Juventus' all-time top scorer and captain, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006.
   647pts
4. 4
   Francesco Totti

   Roma's captain for 25 seasons in the No. 10, a Serie A champion in 2001 and a World Cup winner in 2006.
   501pts
5. 5
   Ronaldinho

   Barcelona's 2005 Ballon d'Or winner and a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002.
   501pts
6. 6
   Gheorghe Hagi

   Romania's 'Maradona of the Carpathians', the playmaker of the 1994 World Cup quarter-final side.
   501pts
7. 7
   Rui Costa

   Portugal's elegant playmaker at Fiorentina and Milan, a Champions League winner in 2003.
   448pts
8. 8
   Zico

   Flamengo's greatest idol and the Brazil No. 10 of the celebrated 1982 World Cup side.
   448pts
9. 9
   Michel Platini

   Three straight Ballons d'Or at Juventus and nine goals as France won Euro 1984.
   448pts
10. 10
    Zinedine Zidane

    France's 1998 World Cup final hero and the 2002 Champions League final volley scorer for Real Madrid.
    448pts
11. 11
    Wesley Sneijder

    The playmaker of Inter's 2010 treble and the Netherlands' run to that year's World Cup final.
    388pts
12. 12
    Neymar

    Brazil's all-time top scorer, the No. 10 of Santos, Barcelona and the Seleção.
    320pts
13. 13
    Ferenc Puskás

    Hungary's Mighty Magyars captain who later scored four in a European Cup final for Real Madrid.
    320pts
14. 14
    Mesut Özil

    Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning playmaker, an assist machine at Real Madrid and Arsenal.
    320pts
15. 15
    Lionel Messi

    Argentina's 2022 World Cup winner and Barcelona's record scorer, a record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.
    241pts
16. 16
    Gianni Rivera

    Milan's 'Golden Boy', the first Italian-born Ballon d'Or winner in 1969.
    241pts
17. 17
    Luka Modrić

    Croatia's captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, six Champions League titles with Real Madrid.
    241pts
18. 18
    Rivaldo

    Brazil's No. 10 at the 2002 World Cup win and the 1999 Ballon d'Or winner at Barcelona.
    241pts
19. 19
    Juan Román Riquelme

    Boca Juniors' slow-tempo genius and the playmaker behind Villarreal's 2006 Champions League semi-final.
    149pts
20. 20
    Carlos Valderrama

    Colombia's curly-haired No. 10, twice South American Footballer of the Year.
    149pts
21. 21
    Roberto Baggio

    Italy's 1993 Ballon d'Or winner and the star of the 1994 World Cup run to the final.
    149pts

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