Kit numbers hold a special place in football, and FC Barcelona is a club all too familiar with legendary numbers on the back of some of the most iconic and legendary players that have ever graced the sport. The Catalan giants themselves were home to many of these footballing greats.
From their legendary number 9s to their iconic number 8s, Barcelona have never had a shortage of talent to rely upon. However, one number in particular that remains undisputed as the most mythical one of all at FC Barcelona is the coveted number 10.
The number was adorned by the likes of club icons such as Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Juan Roman Riquelme, Rivaldo, Jari Litmanen, Giovanni Silva de Oliveira, Angel Cueller, Romario, and Diego Maradona just to name a few Barcelona greats.
According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo however, the 2023/2024 season marks the first time in 27 years that FC Barcelona have left the ownership of the number 10 jersey vacant with no player in the current squad owning it.
Previously owned by 20-year-old Spaniard Ansu Fati, he leaves the number vacant as he is sent out on loan to English Premier League side Brighton in the hopes of regaining his former form and confidence that once made him a deserving candidate for the iconic number.
Despite rumors suggesting new arrival Joao Felix may be given the number, those have been quickly erased as the player is set to wear the number 14, a number associated with another club legend, Johan Cruyff.
There are also murmurs that if 16-year-old Lamine Yamal were to be registered with a first-team contract, the young teenager may be given the number to carry forward. However, it would appear for now that Barcelona have chosen not to do anything with it and leave it vacant.
Objectively, this could be a wise decision. The number 10 brings along with it not just prestige and the historical importance that it carries, but also an unmatchable burden and responsibility that can weigh down a player to an extent that most are not capable of shouldering nor meeting the expectations that come along with it.
It is also possible that once Ansu Fati makes his expected return in June of 2024, the number 10 jersey is given back to him and is simply left vacant in respect of his absence. One thing remains clear though, the player that is tasked with the responsibility at any point will have to shoulder something beyond what most footballers have ever been used to.
