There's arguably no shirt number more renowned in the history of world soccer than Brazil's number 10 shirt.
From Pelé to Ronaldinho, from Zico to Rivaldo, La Seleçao's yellow number 10 shirt carries a weight and responsibility that only the brightest of Brazilian stars are fit to carry.
Following Ronaldinho's retirement, Neymar Jr. became the heir to the honor and burden of carrying the number 10 on the back of his shirt. On June 2, 2013, Neymar donned the iconic shirt number for the first time, a month later, he led Brazil to a Confederations Cup trophy, defeating reigning World Cup Champions Spain in the final 3–0. Two months later, he made his European soccer debut with Barcelona.
The rest is history, Neymar grew into one of the best players of the 21st century and wore the number 10 shirt in three World Cup's for Brazil, becoming the nation's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals and the second most capped player ever.
Fast forward to the present day, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain man hasn't featured for Brazil since he tore his ACL on a World Cup qualifier match vs. Uruguay on Oct. 18, 2023.
Real Madrid's Rodrygo, after getting Neymar's blessing, donned the number 10 shirt in the 2024 Copa América. During the last international break, it was Raphinha who had the number on his back. The Barcelona winger went on to score whilst wearing the legendary shirt and paid homage to Neymar with his iconic celebration.
Now, nearly 17 months after his knee injury, Neymar is officially back with Seleçao and the number 10 shirt will return to its rightful owner.
As manager Dorival Júnior said when talking about Neymar's return, "even his own teammates have highlighted the significance he [Neymar] has on the group."
Neymar will make his much awaited return with Brazil in the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifier games. La Seleçao will host Colombia and then travel to Buenos Aires for a Sooth American derby vs. Argentina, where Neymar will reunite with his friend, former teammate and fellow number 10, Lionel Messi.
The hope is for Neymar to help Brazil return to form in the qualifiers and secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup. Once there, Brazil's number 10 made his desire clear to partake in his fourth World Cup, hoping to lead the team in their pursuit of ending a 24-year drought and add a sixth star to the most decorated badge in international soccer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Neymar Jr's Shirt Number Revealed in Return to Brazil National Team.
