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 MilanAnconaAscoliAtalantaBariBeneventoBolognaBresciaCagliariCarpiCataniaCesenaChievoComoCremoneseCrotoneEmpoliFiorentinaFrosinoneGenoaHellas VeronaInter MilanJuventusLazioLecceLivornoMessinaModenaMonzaNapoliNovaraPadovaPalermoParmaPerugiaPescaraPiacenzaPisaReggianaRegginaRomaSalernitanaSampdoriaSassuoloSienaSpeziaTorinoTrevisoUdineseVeneziaVicenza

The drift away from 1–11

In 1995/96, 40.4% of the numbers issued were 1–11. By 2025/26 it was 28.1%, a fall of 12.3 points. The average number rose from 14.3 to 28.6.

0%25%50%75%100%95/9699/0003/0407/0811/1215/1619/2023/2425/2695/96: 40.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 14.3)96/97: 37.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16)97/98: 34.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.8)98/99: 35.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.2)99/00: 34.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.7)00/01: 32.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.4)01/02: 33.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.9)02/03: 33.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.3)03/04: 32.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 21.1)04/05: 31.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 23.9)05/06: 31.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 24.3)06/07: 29% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 26.2)07/08: 30% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 25)08/09: 29.1% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 26.5)09/10: 29.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 27)10/11: 27.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 29.2)11/12: 28.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 28.1)12/13: 28% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 28.6)13/14: 28.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 28.7)14/15: 27.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 30.7)15/16: 29.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 29.4)16/17: 27.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 31.2)17/18: 26.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 31.1)18/19: 28.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 28)19/20: 27.1% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 29.4)20/21: 24.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 31.9)21/22: 25.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 31.3)22/23: 28.1% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 29.2)23/24: 27.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 29.4)24/25: 27.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 29.7)25/26: 28.1% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 28.6)40.4%28.1%
See the numbers
Season1–11AverageNumbers
1995/9640.4%14.3488
1996/9737.4%16527
1997/9834.9%16.8547
1998/9935.8%16.2558
1999/200034.6%16.7572
2000/0132.6%19.4614
2001/0233.6%19.9581
2002/0333.8%20.3571
2003/0432.4%21.1592
2004/0531.4%23.9666
2005/0631.7%24.3652
2006/0729%26.2679
2007/0830%25671
2008/0929.1%26.5640
2009/1029.6%27676
2010/1127.6%29.2747
2011/1228.6%28.1682
2012/1328%28.6718
2013/1428.4%28.7708
2014/1527.8%30.7722
2015/1629.7%29.4681
2016/1727.7%31.2718
2017/1826.7%31.1637
2018/1928.6%28633
2019/2027.1%29.4665
2020/2124.3%31.9789
2021/2225.4%31.3782
2022/2328.1%29.2695
2023/2427.6%29.4733
2024/2527.6%29.7764
2025/2628.1%28.6688

Which numbers get worn

#9 is the most-worn number in this selection, 609 times. The thinnest end of the tail is #62, worn 17.

110203040506070809099#1: worn 567 times (2.7%)#2: worn 511 times (2.4%)#3: worn 537 times (2.6%)#4: worn 568 times (2.7%)#5: worn 596 times (2.8%)#6: worn 523 times (2.5%)#7: worn 586 times (2.8%)#8: worn 603 times (2.9%)#9: worn 609 times (2.9%)#10: worn 572 times (2.7%)#11: worn 601 times (2.9%)#12: worn 351 times (1.7%)#13: worn 481 times (2.3%)#14: worn 527 times (2.5%)#15: worn 509 times (2.4%)#16: worn 493 times (2.3%)#17: worn 544 times (2.6%)#18: worn 548 times (2.6%)#19: worn 566 times (2.7%)#20: worn 591 times (2.8%)#21: worn 577 times (2.7%)#22: worn 561 times (2.7%)#23: worn 579 times (2.8%)#24: worn 469 times (2.2%)#25: worn 468 times (2.2%)#26: worn 411 times (2.0%)#27: worn 452 times (2.1%)#28: worn 394 times (1.9%)#29: worn 344 times (1.6%)#30: worn 381 times (1.8%)#31: worn 323 times (1.5%)#32: worn 374 times (1.8%)#33: worn 382 times (1.8%)#34: worn 214 times (1.0%)#35: worn 167 times (0.8%)#36: worn 132 times (0.6%)#37: worn 138 times (0.7%)#38: worn 107 times (0.5%)#39: worn 105 times (0.5%)#40: worn 125 times (0.6%)#41: worn 85 times (0.4%)#42: worn 86 times (0.4%)#43: worn 72 times (0.3%)#44: worn 128 times (0.6%)#45: worn 78 times (0.4%)#46: worn 68 times (0.3%)#47: worn 61 times (0.3%)#48: worn 33 times (0.2%)#49: worn 33 times (0.2%)#50: worn 56 times (0.3%)#51: worn 48 times (0.2%)#52: worn 42 times (0.2%)#53: worn 47 times (0.2%)#54: worn 32 times (0.2%)#55: worn 99 times (0.5%)#56: worn 51 times (0.2%)#57: worn 39 times (0.2%)#58: worn 26 times (0.1%)#59: worn 33 times (0.2%)#60: worn 26 times (0.1%)#61: worn 35 times (0.2%)#62: worn 17 times (0.1%)#63: worn 37 times (0.2%)#64: worn 23 times (0.1%)#65: worn 25 times (0.1%)#66: worn 47 times (0.2%)#67: worn 27 times (0.1%)#68: worn 37 times (0.2%)#69: worn 43 times (0.2%)#70: worn 82 times (0.4%)#71: worn 34 times (0.2%)#72: worn 53 times (0.3%)#73: worn 29 times (0.1%)#74: worn 23 times (0.1%)#75: worn 19 times (0.1%)#76: worn 26 times (0.1%)#77: worn 259 times (1.2%)#78: worn 34 times (0.2%)#79: worn 60 times (0.3%)#80: worn 81 times (0.4%)#81: worn 43 times (0.2%)#82: worn 21 times (0.1%)#83: worn 70 times (0.3%)#84: worn 33 times (0.2%)#85: worn 26 times (0.1%)#86: worn 34 times (0.2%)#87: worn 66 times (0.3%)#88: worn 102 times (0.5%)#89: worn 59 times (0.3%)#90: worn 115 times (0.5%)#91: worn 87 times (0.4%)#92: worn 74 times (0.4%)#93: worn 67 times (0.3%)#94: worn 62 times (0.3%)#95: worn 69 times (0.3%)#96: worn 53 times (0.3%)#97: worn 63 times (0.3%)#98: worn 56 times (0.3%)#99: worn 211 times (1.0%)

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
Francesco TottiRoma#1020 (1997/98–17)
Javier ZanettiInter Milan#419 (1995/96–14)
Massimo AmbrosiniAC Milan#2315 (1998/99–13)
Paolo MaldiniAC Milan#314 (1995/96–09)
Daniele De RossiRoma#1614 (2005/06–19)
Ștefan RaduLazio#2614 (2009/10–23)
Gennaro GattusoAC Milan#813 (1999/2000–12)
Iván CórdobaInter Milan#212 (2000/01–12)
Antonio Di NataleUdinese#1012 (2004/05–16)
Marek HamšíkNapoli#1712 (2007/08–19)

Numbers nobody keeps

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

ClubNumberPlayers
Fiorentina#3219
Fiorentina#1718
Inter Milan#1118
Roma#318
Inter Milan#717
Parma#917
Udinese#917
Udinese#2117

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 →