BRAZIL Winger Raphinha will wear the shirt number once worn by legends Pele, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.
On November 13, Brazil coach Dorival gave Raphinha the number 10 shirt to play in two matches against Venezuela on November 14 and Uruguay on November 19. Previously, the 27-year-old winger wore the number 11 shirt for Barca and the national team.
The number 10 shirt for Brazil used to belong to Neymar. But since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in October 2023, the five-time World Cup winner’s top scorer has been out for more than a year. He recently returned to play for Al Hilal, but continues to have to deal with a hamstring injury.
During Neymar’s absence, the number 10 shirt belonged to Rodrygo. But this month’s training session, the Real Madrid striker was absent due to a muscle injury in his left leg.
Brazil’s No. 10 shirt once belonged to Pele, the only player to win three World Cups. Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, two 2022 World Cup champions and Ballon d’Or winners, have also worn the number multiple times.
Raphinha is currently in top form for Barca, scoring 12 goals and assisting nine in the first 16 games of the 2024-2025 season. Barca are top of La Liga and are in the top 8 of the Champions League group stage.
On October 15, Raphinha scored two goals from the penalty spot, helping Brazil beat Peru 4-0. This victory brought the yellow-green team to fourth place in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America, with 16 points after 10 matches, only six points behind the leading team Argentina.
Venezuela, Brazil’s opponents on November 14, have drawn three and lost two of their last five games. Raphinha and his teammates can therefore claim all three points if they play well. Brazil will face a bigger challenge when they host Uruguay five days later. Last year’s first leg, Uruguay won 2-0 and saw Neymar injured.