Top strikers in 2022: Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Harry Kane (England), Lautaro Martínez (Argentina) No. 9, which is another hugely common one today. The player playing most advanced on the pitch in hunt for goals is a striker that is referred to as a No. Top box-to-box midfielders in 2022: Toni Kroos (Germany), Sergej Milinković-Savić (Serbia), Mateo Kovacic (Croatia) No. They’re often called “box-to-box” midfielders because they’re adept at attacking and defending. 8 plays in center midfield and occupies areas a little more advanced than a No. (Brazil), Son Heung-min (South Korea) No. Top left wingers in 2022: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Neymar Jr. 7 could play on either wing and helped put in crosses into the box or score goals, with players like Cristiano Ronaldo becoming popular figures to emerge with this number.

Top defensive midfielders in 2022: Rodri (Spain), Thomas Partey (Ghana), Casemiro (Brazil) No. Their job is to protect the backline, retain the ball and recycle possession if need be. 6 jersey refers to a defensive midfielder, also known as a holding midfielder. This one has evolved over time, but the No. Top center-backs in 2022: Virgil Van Dijk (Netherlands), Ruben Dias (Portugal), William Saliba (France) No. Both are still pretty common, along with Nos. The two center-backs playing directly in front of the goalie would typically wear Nos. Top left-backs in 2022: Theo Hernandez (France), Alphonso Davies (Canada), Luke Shaw (England) Nos. You guessed it – they played as a defender on the left-hand flank. Top right-backs in 2022: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Kyle Walker (England), João Cancelo (Portugal) No. The number-position combination here isn’t as common anymore. 2 kit was usually worn by a right-back, who played as a defender on the right-hand side of the field.

Moving right up to the positions in front of the goalkeeper, the No. Top goalkeepers in 2022: Manuel Neuer (Germany), Alisson (Brazil), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium) No. Today, the best goalkeeper on a certain team is referred to as that team’s “No. This position is usually occupied by the goalkeeper, who plays between the sticks and has a primary responsibility to prevent goals from being scored. Let’s take a look at what the jersey numbers 1-11 mean on the pitch ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar: No. And though the rules behind those have altered throughout the decades, a lot of modern football today is still influenced by history.

Initially introduced by the English Football League in 1939, players had to wear certain numbers designated to their respective positions. 9 kit and was always a menace in front of goal thanks to his ballstriking prowess, most famously at the international level.īut beyond the two Ronaldos, jersey numbers in soccer are often associated with what position a player occupies. The latter refers to another Ronaldo – Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima of Brazil. 7 jersey throughout his hardware-filled career threatening defenders on the right and left flanks along with being a prolific scorer down the middle. The former refers to Portuguese attacker Cristiano Ronaldo, who has donned the No. Five simple letters and numbers that resonate globally in soccer and hold significant influence in the evolution of the sport.

Soccer positions number