DURING his time at Barcelona, Lionel Messi’s No10 jersey became absolutely iconic.
Arguably no-one has worn the number in more esteem than the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.
However, after leaving Barcelona, Messi no longer dons the ’10’ except for when he plays for Argentina.
Instead, Messi sports the No30 at Paris Saint-Germain, with team-mate Neymar occupying the No10.
It was even reported Neymar offered to let Messi have the shirt, but the 35-year-old turned it down.
So why does Messi really wear the No30 now?
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Well, it turns out he wears it for sentimental reasons.
When a fresh-faced Messi made his Barcelona debut in 2004, he sported the No30 on his back.
Messi carried on wearing the number for the next two seasons, also wearing the No19 before inheriting Ronaldinho’s No10 in 2008.
With the No10 unavailable in the French capital, Messi went back to the No30, believing it would bring him luck.
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But while he wears the No30 in the league, it would be incorrect to say he has never worn the ’10’ for PSG.
Last year, Messi featured in the Coupe de France which maintains a tradition whereby all starting players must wear numbers 1-11 when reaching the knockout stages.
PSG had one such game against Nice, with Messi starting and consequently wearing the No10 shirt while Neymar was absent.
However, there were added complications with Messi taking the No30.
Ligue 1 rules dictate the No30 is reserved for goalkeepers, meaning PSG had to be granted special permission from league chiefs in order for Messi to take the number.
But ultimately fans did not seem to care about the swap, with it selling out in HALF AN HOUR after he completed his move to the Parisiens.
A number of major football stars around the world also wear shirt numbers some may consider odd.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
