Thirty years of squad numbers

Every number worn in eight leagues since 1993/94, and what changed. Pick a league or a club to ask the same questions of it.

EnglandPremier LeagueEFL ChampionshipEFL League OneEFL League TwoLa LigaBundesligaSerie ALigue 1All leagues
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AC AjaccioAC Arles AvignonAJ AuxerreAmiensAngersBastiaBordeauxBrestCaenClermontDijonGazélec AjaccioGrenobleGuingampIstresLavalLe HavreLensLilleLorientLyonMansMarseilleMetzMonacoMontpellierNancyNantesNîmesOGC NiceParisParis Saint-GermainReimsRennesSaint-ÉtienneSochauxStrasbourgToulouseTroyesValenciennesÉvian

The drift away from 1–11

In 1996/97, 43.2% of the numbers issued were 1–11. By 2025/26 it was 28%, a fall of 15.2 points. The average number rose from 13.3 to 28.1.

0%25%50%75%100%96/9700/0104/0508/0912/1316/1720/2124/2525/2696/97: 43.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 13.3)97/98: 37.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 15.3)98/99: 39.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 15.4)99/00: 39.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 15.7)00/01: 39.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 15.2)01/02: 37% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 15.8)02/03: 34% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.8)03/04: 35.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.1)04/05: 32.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.8)05/06: 35.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.6)06/07: 36.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.8)07/08: 36.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.7)08/09: 35.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.7)09/10: 35.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.1)10/11: 36.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.6)11/12: 35.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.3)12/13: 35% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.7)13/14: 34.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17)14/15: 33.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.4)15/16: 33% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.7)16/17: 34.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.4)17/18: 34% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.3)18/19: 33.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.2)19/20: 33.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.1)20/21: 32.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.2)21/22: 34% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.2)22/23: 30.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 24.1)23/24: 31.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 24)24/25: 30.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 24.4)25/26: 28% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 28.1)43.2%28%
See the numbers
Season1–11AverageNumbers
1996/9743.2%13.3118
1997/9837.6%15.3194
1998/9939.6%15.4212
1999/200039.7%15.7189
2000/0139.6%15.2212
2001/0237%15.8276
2002/0334%17.8326
2003/0435.6%17.1315
2004/0532.6%18.8454
2005/0635.9%16.6251
2006/0736.4%16.8338
2007/0836.4%16.7231
2008/0935.6%16.7388
2009/1035.4%17.1427
2010/1136.5%16.6471
2011/1235.9%16.3448
2012/1335%16.7566
2013/1434.3%17478
2014/1533.2%17.4579
2015/1633%17.7606
2016/1734.2%17.4612
2017/1834%17.3605
2018/1933.4%18.2631
2019/2033.4%18.1610
2020/2132.9%18.2607
2021/2234%18.2617
2022/2330.7%24.1681
2023/2431.8%24603
2024/2530.5%24.4616
2025/2628%28.1503

Which numbers get worn

#8 is the most-worn number in this selection, 453 times. The thinnest end of the tail is #57, worn 1.

110203040506070809099#1: worn 431 times (3.1%)#2: worn 365 times (2.7%)#3: worn 392 times (2.9%)#4: worn 420 times (3.1%)#5: worn 420 times (3.1%)#6: worn 435 times (3.2%)#7: worn 446 times (3.3%)#8: worn 453 times (3.3%)#9: worn 419 times (3.1%)#10: worn 444 times (3.2%)#11: worn 422 times (3.1%)#12: worn 350 times (2.6%)#13: worn 307 times (2.2%)#14: worn 417 times (3.0%)#15: worn 376 times (2.7%)#16: worn 405 times (3.0%)#17: worn 395 times (2.9%)#18: worn 410 times (3.0%)#19: worn 415 times (3.0%)#20: worn 400 times (2.9%)#21: worn 403 times (2.9%)#22: worn 393 times (2.9%)#23: worn 406 times (3.0%)#24: worn 381 times (2.8%)#25: worn 380 times (2.8%)#26: worn 351 times (2.6%)#27: worn 380 times (2.8%)#28: worn 344 times (2.5%)#29: worn 358 times (2.6%)#30: worn 391 times (2.9%)#31: worn 170 times (1.2%)#32: worn 153 times (1.1%)#33: worn 178 times (1.3%)#34: worn 146 times (1.1%)#35: worn 113 times (0.8%)#36: worn 83 times (0.6%)#37: worn 79 times (0.6%)#38: worn 63 times (0.5%)#39: worn 62 times (0.5%)#40: worn 196 times (1.4%)#41: worn 36 times (0.3%)#42: worn 35 times (0.3%)#43: worn 17 times (0.1%)#44: worn 41 times (0.3%)#45: worn 32 times (0.2%)#46: worn 15 times (0.1%)#47: worn 17 times (0.1%)#48: worn 10 times (0.1%)#49: worn 15 times (0.1%)#50: worn 39 times (0.3%)#51: worn 7 times (0.1%)#52: worn 8 times (0.1%)#53: worn 3 times (0.0%)#54: worn 4 times (0.0%)#55: worn 11 times (0.1%)#57: worn 1 times (0.0%)#58: worn 1 times (0.0%)#59: worn 2 times (0.0%)#60: worn 9 times (0.1%)#61: worn 2 times (0.0%)#62: worn 7 times (0.1%)#63: worn 1 times (0.0%)#64: worn 5 times (0.0%)#65: worn 3 times (0.0%)#66: worn 6 times (0.0%)#67: worn 3 times (0.0%)#69: worn 4 times (0.0%)#70: worn 14 times (0.1%)#71: worn 6 times (0.0%)#72: worn 7 times (0.1%)#74: worn 1 times (0.0%)#75: worn 3 times (0.0%)#76: worn 3 times (0.0%)#77: worn 36 times (0.3%)#78: worn 5 times (0.0%)#79: worn 2 times (0.0%)#80: worn 16 times (0.1%)#83: worn 2 times (0.0%)#84: worn 2 times (0.0%)#85: worn 2 times (0.0%)#87: worn 4 times (0.0%)#88: worn 4 times (0.0%)#89: worn 2 times (0.0%)#90: worn 8 times (0.1%)#91: worn 2 times (0.0%)#92: worn 10 times (0.1%)#93: worn 14 times (0.1%)#94: worn 10 times (0.1%)#95: worn 9 times (0.1%)#96: worn 2 times (0.0%)#97: worn 12 times (0.1%)#98: worn 9 times (0.1%)#99: worn 27 times (0.2%)

1–11 in green, 12 and above in blue.

Who leaves out 13

Share of squads that issued 13 at all, since 2000. English lower-league clubs skip it most often.

EFL League TwoEFL League Two: 49.5% of 428 squads used 1349.5%EFL League OneEFL League One: 58.2% of 493 squads used 1358.2%EFL ChampionshipEFL Championship: 62.6% of 609 squads used 1362.6%Ligue 1Ligue 1: 64.7% of 419 squads used 1364.7%Premier LeaguePremier League: 65.5% of 510 squads used 1365.5%BundesligaBundesliga: 75.1% of 382 squads used 1375.1%Serie ASerie A: 75.6% of 505 squads used 1375.6%La LigaLa Liga: 93.6% of 392 squads used 1393.6%

La Liga is shown in a different colour because it isn’t a choice there: Spanish clubs register a first-team squad numbered 1–25, so 13 is issued unless the squad is unusually small. For the same reason, Spain barely appears above 25 and shouldn’t be compared with the rest on the chart above.

The one-number men

Longest unbroken runs in the same number at the same club.

PlayerClubNumberSeasons
Steve MandandaMarseille#3015 (2007/08–22)
MarquinhosParis Saint-Germain#514 (2013/14–27)
Souleymane CamaraMontpellier#1911 (2009/10–20)
Sidney GovouLyon#1410 (2000/01–10)
Rio MavubaLille#2410 (2007/08–17)
Franck BériaLille#1810 (2007/08–17)
Vitorino HiltonMontpellier#410 (2011/12–21)
Romain HamoumaSaint-Étienne#2110 (2012/13–22)
Anthony LopesLyon#110 (2014/15–24)
Presnel KimpembeParis Saint-Germain#310 (2015/16–25)

Numbers nobody keeps

Most different players in one number at one club since 2000.

ClubNumberPlayers
Marseille#2318
Marseille#817
Marseille#1417
Marseille#2016
Marseille#2916
Marseille#1816
Monaco#2016
Lille#1115

When the big numbers arrived

The first season each of these turns up anywhere in the data.

#69 · 1996/97#66 · 2000/01#77 · 2000/01#99 · 2000/01#50 · 2003/04#88 · 2004/05

How to read this

  • The season in progress is left out of the trends. Squads fill up as a season goes on, and the numbers added last are the high ones.
  • Leagues run different rules. Spain numbers its first-team squad 1–25, which decides both how high its numbers go and whether 13 is used, so it is never averaged in silently.
  • The data is compiled from Wikipedia and is thinner for some seasons than others; a season with fewer than 100 numbers on record is left off the trend.

Why players choose their numbers →