Two plain soccer shirts numbered 10 and 7 hanging in a stadium tunnel under floodlights

Every Messi and Ronaldo Jersey Number and the Story Behind Each

Lionel Messi has worn five numbers for senior clubs and Argentina: 30, 19 and 10 at Barcelona, 30 again at Paris Saint-Germain, 10 at Inter Miami, and 18, 19, 15 and 10 for Argentina's youth, Olympic and senior teams. Cristiano Ronaldo has worn 28 at Sporting, 7 at Manchester United, 9 and then 7 at Real Madrid, and 7 at Juventus and Al-Nassr, plus 17 and 7 for Portugal. As of September 2026, Messi wears 10 for Inter Miami and Argentina, and Ronaldo wears 7 for Al-Nassr and Portugal.

Every Messi jersey number at a glance

Seasons below follow Transfermarkt's squad number history and the tournament squad lists linked in each section.

Team Number Years
Barcelona 30 2004-05
Barcelona 19 2005-06 to 2007-08
Barcelona 10 2008-09 to 2020-21
Paris Saint-Germain 30 2021 to 2023
Inter Miami 10 2023 to present (contract through 2028)
Argentina U20 18 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
Argentina 18 and 19 2005 to 2008 (19 at the 2006 World Cup, 18 at the 2007 Copa America)
Argentina Olympic team 15 2008 Beijing Olympics
Argentina 10 Late 2008 to present

For 2004-05, Transfermarkt also lists 8, 9 and 11 for his appearances with Barcelona's B team.

Messi's Barcelona numbers: 30, 19 and 10

Messi made his senior Barcelona debut in 2004 wearing 30. He scored his first senior goal for the club in that shirt, then switched to 19 once he established himself as a regular. The 10 was not available: Ronaldinho wore it.

That changed in the summer of 2008. Ronaldinho left for AC Milan, and a week later Messi wore the 10 for the first time in a preseason friendly against Hibernian on July 24, 2008, scoring in the game. Barcelona announced on August 3, 2008 that Messi would be the club's number 10 for the 2008-09 season. He kept it until he left in 2021.

Why Messi wore 30 at PSG

Messi wore 30 at Paris Saint-Germain because Neymar, his former Barcelona teammate, already had the 10. Reports said Neymar offered the shirt, and Messi declined. Instead he went back to 30, the number he wore on his senior debut for Barcelona.

Messi's Inter Miami number: 10

Messi joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023 and has worn 10 since, as shown on his Inter Miami player profile. On October 23, 2025, the club signed him to a contract extension through the 2028 MLS season, so the 10 in Miami is his for the foreseeable future.

Messi's Argentina numbers: 18, 19, 15 and 10

Messi's early Argentina years were spent swapping between 18 and 19. He wore 18 at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, 19 at the 2006 World Cup and 18 again at the 2007 Copa America. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics he wore 15, because Juan Roman Riquelme had the 10, per the Olympic squad list.

The 10 came through Diego Maradona. When Maradona took over as Argentina coach in late 2008, SI reports that one of his first decisions was to take Messi out of 18 and put him in the 10. The 2010 World Cup in South Africa was Messi's first World Cup wearing it. He has kept the 10 through the 2022 World Cup win and the 2026 World Cup, where FIFA's squad list had him at 10 and captain as Argentina reached the final.

Every Ronaldo jersey number at a glance

Seasons below follow Transfermarkt's squad number history and the tournament squad lists linked in each section.

Team Number Years
Sporting CP 28 2002-03
Manchester United 7 2003-04 to 2008-09
Real Madrid 9 2009-10
Real Madrid 7 2010-11 to 2017-18
Juventus 7 2018-19 to 2021
Manchester United 7 2021 to 2022
Al-Nassr 7 2023 to present (contract to June 2027)
Portugal 17 2003 to 2007 (Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup)
Portugal Olympic team 7 2004 Athens Olympics
Portugal 7 Euro 2008 to present

Ronaldo's Sporting number: 28

Ronaldo wore 28 at Sporting CP, the club where he broke through as a teenager. He liked the number enough that he asked to keep 28 when he arrived at Manchester United in 2003.

Why Ronaldo wears number 7

Ronaldo wears 7 because Sir Alex Ferguson talked him into it. At United, the shirt had belonged to George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham, and Goal reports that Ferguson persuaded the 18 year old to take it instead of 28. Ronaldo wore 7 through six seasons at Old Trafford and turned the number into part of his "CR7" brand.

Ronaldo's Real Madrid numbers: 9, then 7

Ronaldo wore 9 in his first season at Real Madrid, 2009-10, because club legend Raul still had the 7. When Raul left in 2010, Ronaldo took the 7 and wore it for the next eight seasons.

Ronaldo at Juventus, Manchester United and Al-Nassr: always 7

At Juventus he took the 7 from Juan Cuadrado. When he returned to Manchester United in 2021, Edinson Cavani moved to 21 so Ronaldo could have the 7 back. "I wasn't sure if I would be able to wear the No. 7 shirt again, so I would like to say huge thank you to Edi for this incredible gesture," Ronaldo said, per ESPN.

Ronaldo has worn 7 at Al-Nassr since he was unveiled in January 2023. His contract runs to June 2027, and in August 2026 he called the 2026-27 season "probably my last year of football," per FOX Sports.

Ronaldo's Portugal numbers: 17, then 7

For Portugal, Ronaldo started in 17 because Luis Figo wore the 7. He wore 17 at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, both times with Figo in the 7. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, with Figo not in the squad, he wore 7, per the Olympic squad list. After Figo retired from international soccer, Ronaldo claimed the senior 7 and wore it at Euro 2008. He was still Portugal's 7 and captain at the 2026 World Cup.

Messi vs Ronaldo numbers: what they have in common

Both players started in high numbers, 30 for Messi and 28 for Ronaldo, and moved to the classic low numbers once they became stars. Both were blocked from their signature number at least once by a teammate: Ronaldinho and Neymar for Messi, Raul and Figo for Ronaldo. Both ended up wearing their signature number, 10 for Messi and 7 for Ronaldo, for club and country at the same time. For what those numbers traditionally mean on the field, see our guide to soccer jersey numbers by position.

Wear the numbers

The soccer collection includes retro and current shirts for both players. Messi's first number is on the Barcelona 2004-05 debut retro jersey, Ronaldo's early Portugal 17 is on the Portugal debut retro jersey, and his United 7 is on the Manchester United 2006-07 jersey.

Frequently asked questions

How many jersey numbers has Messi worn?

Messi has worn five numbers for senior clubs and Argentina: 30, 19, 18, 15 and 10. He wore 30, 19 and 10 at Barcelona, 30 at PSG and 10 at Inter Miami. For Argentina he wore 18 and 19 early on, 15 at the 2008 Olympics and 10 since late 2008, the number he has worn longest.

Why does Messi wear number 10?

Messi wears 10 because two of the game's great 10s passed it to him. He inherited the Barcelona 10 when Ronaldinho left for AC Milan in 2008, and Diego Maradona moved him into Argentina's 10 after becoming national team coach that same year. Messi has worn it for Argentina ever since and now wears it at Inter Miami.

Has Messi ever worn number 19?

Yes. Messi wore 19 at Barcelona from the 2005-06 season through 2007-08, after starting his senior career in 30. He also wore 19 for Argentina, including at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He moved to 10 at Barcelona in 2008, when Ronaldinho left the club and the shirt became free.

Why did Ronaldo wear number 9 at Real Madrid?

Ronaldo wore 9 in his first season at Real Madrid, 2009-10, because club legend Raul still wore the 7 and was playing his final season with the club. When Raul left in 2010, Ronaldo moved into the 7 and wore it for eight seasons, until he joined Juventus in 2018. He has worn 7 for every club since.

What number did Ronaldo wear before 7?

Before 7, Ronaldo wore 28 at Sporting CP and asked for the same number when he joined Manchester United in 2003. Sir Alex Ferguson talked him into taking 7. For Portugal he first wore 17, because Luis Figo had the 7, and only took over Portugal's 7 after Figo retired from international soccer.

Sources

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