The number 10 shirt is one of football’s most iconic symbols. Traditionally, it belongs to the team’s creative heartbeat the brilliant attacking midfielder who decides games with magical passes, dribbles, and goals.
But sometimes, clubs and national teams have handed it to players who simply didn’t fit the role or whose performances fell well short of what that number demands.
WILLIAM GALLAS (ARSENAL)
▫️After Dennis Bergkamp retired, Arsène Wenger handed the number 10 shirt to French centre-back William Gallas.
Wenger explained that Gallas didn’t like the number 3, the other shirts were already taken, and he didn’t want an attacking player to suffer under the weight of Bergkamp comparisons.
Gallas spent four seasons at Arsenal and even captained the team, but because of that shirt number, he’s still remembered as one of the most controversial number 10s ever.
ANDRIY VORONIN (LIVERPOOL)
▫️Following Luis García, the Ukrainian forward was given the number 10 at Anfield.
Voronin wasn’t technically poor, but he was nowhere near worthy of a shirt once worn by players like John Barnes and Michael Owen.
It was quickly seen as a questionable decision and his performances did nothing to change that perception.
LASSANA DIARRA (REAL MADRID)
▫️For a time, the French defensive midfielder wore the number 10 at Real Madrid.
Given the club’s rich history with that shirt, many fans saw it as outrageous. Diarra wasn’t a creator he was a fighter, a destroyer in midfield.
People even started talking about the curse of the number 10, as his performances were, to put it kindly, inconsistent.
ANDRÉ-PIERRE GIGNAC (FRANCE)
▫️Nicknamed 'wooden foot' by some critics, the French striker wore the number 10 for France at Euro 2016 a shirt once carried by legends like Platini and Zidane.
He started several matches during the tournament, but his performances and overall style felt far from what the number 10 represents.
The criticism was brutal. Some even said this was the moment the myth of the number 10 truly died.
JAMES RODRÍGUEZ (REAL MADRID)
▫️After 2014, James inherited the number 10 at Real Madrid and he too seemed to fall victim to its so-called curse.
He had undeniable talent, but injuries and inconsistency held him back.
In the end, many felt he never truly lived up to the expectations that come with wearing that legendary shirt.