# 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.

*By YPB Team · Published September 27, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-21-greatest-number-10s-in-football-history*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Diego Maradona** — score 1000/1000
   Argentina's 1986 World Cup captain and Napoli's two-time Serie A champion in the No. 10.
2. **Pelé** — score 774/1000
   Brazil's three-time World Cup winner who made the No. 10 shirt famous at Santos and for the Seleção.
3. **Alessandro Del Piero** — score 647/1000
   Juventus' all-time top scorer and captain, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006.
4. **Francesco Totti** — score 501/1000
   Roma's captain for 25 seasons in the No. 10, a Serie A champion in 2001 and a World Cup winner in 2006.
5. **Ronaldinho** — score 501/1000
   Barcelona's 2005 Ballon d'Or winner and a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002.
6. **Gheorghe Hagi** — score 501/1000
   Romania's 'Maradona of the Carpathians', the playmaker of the 1994 World Cup quarter-final side.
7. **Rui Costa** — score 448/1000
   Portugal's elegant playmaker at Fiorentina and Milan, a Champions League winner in 2003.
8. **Zico** — score 448/1000
   Flamengo's greatest idol and the Brazil No. 10 of the celebrated 1982 World Cup side.
9. **Michel Platini** — score 448/1000
   Three straight Ballons d'Or at Juventus and nine goals as France won Euro 1984.
10. **Zinedine Zidane** — score 448/1000
   France's 1998 World Cup final hero and the 2002 Champions League final volley scorer for Real Madrid.
11. **Wesley Sneijder** — score 388/1000
   The playmaker of Inter's 2010 treble and the Netherlands' run to that year's World Cup final.
12. **Neymar** — score 320/1000
   Brazil's all-time top scorer, the No. 10 of Santos, Barcelona and the Seleção.
13. **Ferenc Puskás** — score 320/1000
   Hungary's Mighty Magyars captain who later scored four in a European Cup final for Real Madrid.
14. **Mesut Özil** — score 320/1000
   Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning playmaker, an assist machine at Real Madrid and Arsenal.
15. **Lionel Messi** — score 241/1000
   Argentina's 2022 World Cup winner and Barcelona's record scorer, a record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.
16. **Gianni Rivera** — score 241/1000
   Milan's 'Golden Boy', the first Italian-born Ballon d'Or winner in 1969.
17. **Luka Modrić** — score 241/1000
   Croatia's captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, six Champions League titles with Real Madrid.
18. **Rivaldo** — score 241/1000
   Brazil's No. 10 at the 2002 World Cup win and the 1999 Ballon d'Or winner at Barcelona.
19. **Juan Román Riquelme** — score 149/1000
   Boca Juniors' slow-tempo genius and the playmaker behind Villarreal's 2006 Champions League semi-final.
20. **Carlos Valderrama** — score 149/1000
   Colombia's curly-haired No. 10, twice South American Footballer of the Year.
21. **Roberto Baggio** — score 149/1000
   Italy's 1993 Ballon d'Or winner and the star of the 1994 World Cup run to the final.

Tags: football, players, number 10, playmakers