Humans are superstitious in many ways. Some numbers are seen to be unlucky and bring bad luck. In the west, 13 is commonly seen as such a number.
However, these legendary players took the number, placed it on their backs, and let their legs do the talking. Their results prove that number 13’s bad luck never got on to them. Who are these people?
The best soccer players wearing number 13 are:
- Michael Ballack
- Eusebio
- Rudi Voller
- Park Ji Sung
- Yassine Bono
- Dani Alves
- Maicon
- Allesandro Nesta
- Jan Oblak
- Danny Murphy
- Thomas Muller
- Aleksandar Kolarov
Table of Contents
12 Best Soccer Players Who Wore Number 13 (Famous Players)
| Player name | Years Active | Country | Clubs | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aleksandar Kolarov | 2004 – | Serbia |
| Left / Center Back |
| Allesandro Nesta | 1993 – 2014 | Italy |
| Center Back |
| Dani Alves | 2001 – | Brazil |
| Right Back |
| Danny Murphy | 1993 – 2013 | England |
| Midfielder |
| Eusebio | 1957 – 1980 | Brazil |
| Striker |
| Jan Oblak | 2009 – | Slovenia |
| Goalkeeper |
| Maicon | 2004 – 2021 | Brazil |
| Right Back |
| Michael Ballack | 1995 – 2012 | Germany |
| Midfielder |
| Park Ji Sung | 2000 – 2014 | South Korea |
| Midfielder |
| Rudi Voller | 1977 – 1996 | Germany |
| Forward |
| Thomas Muller | 2008 – | Germany |
| Attacking Midfielder, Forward |
| Yassine Bounou | 2010 – | Morocco |
| Goalkeeper |
Aleksandar Kolarov
Kolarov started with his local club Red Star Belgrade before making his name at Lazio. His left foot helped land him with Manchester City, where he won a series of championships with the club.
His Manchester City career is best remembered for his overlapping runs from the left-back position. This helped to release his teammates and launch attacks. He is also known for his ability to drive a hard shot using his left foot and his free-kick accuracy. He was honored as the Serbian Player of the Year in 2011.
Allesandro Nesta
Many would immediately think of Nesta for jersey number 13. Who would forget his towering presence as the center back, bringing stability to the defense?
Nesta was first scouted by Roma as a youth player, but his father turned down the offer and joined Lazio instead. His career brought him to AC Milan, where he won a series of championships. He also won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.
Nesta is remembered as a strong defender, using his body to bully strikers. He is also agile and fast, which allows him to shadow strikers well and occasionally bring balls up the field himself.
Dani Alves
Dani Alves is the true example of how the number 13 brings no bad luck. He wore the number most of his playing life. Yet, he is now the most decorated Player ever in professional football, with 46 senior titles overall.
Dani Alves started at his local club Bahia in Brazil before venturing into Europe. There, he found success with Barcelona, playing 247 games for Barca. He won the Copa America and Olympic gold medal with the Brazilian national team.
Playing right back, he is known for his ability to keep up with the fastest wingers. He can also bring the ball up the side of the field as a wingback and distribute accurate passes and crosses to launch attacks.
Danny Murphy
Danny Murphy started off as a professional player with a bang. As a youth player with Crewe Alexandra, he netted 27 goals in 134 appearances, a respectable number for a central midfielder. That earned him a transfer to Liverpool, where he made his name.
In Liverpool, Danny Murphy may always be remembered as the lone figure in the center of the field. He picks up passes from the defenders and then, with one creative pass, releases the forwards or wingers for an attack. He later transitioned to the wing, allowing Steven Gerrard to play his position.
He retired in 2013, having won all the major championships within England. He, however, never won the Premier League. Murphy represented England 9 times with the English team, often as a replacement for Steven Gerrard.
Eusebio
If you are looking for a striker that is a match to the legend Pele, Eusebio is the man. He was known for his speed, athletic ability, and foot technique. His right foot launched ferocious shots and made him a goalscoring machine, with 733 goals in 745 matches.
As a professional, Eusebio spent his career playing mostly for Benfica. With the Portuguese club, he won a collection of championships. These include domestic titles such as the Portuguese league championships to European runner-ups. He also won the Ballon d’Or in 1965, making him the European footballer of the year.
Eusebio later spent his time playing in North America to help promote the sport. He retired in 1980 and passed away in 2014 from a heart attack.
Jan Oblak
A Slovenian national team player, Jan Oblak is known for being the great hands between the sticks at Atletico Madrid, where he still plays today. He started off at his local club Olympic Ljubljana, before earning a transfer to Benfica.
His time in Benfica was not fruitful, seeing himself loaned out to various clubs to earn playing time. However, his final season with Benfica earned him the Goalkeeper Of The Year award in 2014. This resulted in a 16 million Euro transfer to Atletico Madrid
This makes him the most expensive goalkeeper in La Liga’s history. There, he continues to show qualities that made him the best goalkeeper. He is fast, agile, and can read crosses and long balls well, coming up to pick the ball before attacks happen.
Maicon
Maicon may also be a name many may think of for number 13, especially if they watch a lot of Serie A football. Maicon spent most of his peak years there, playing for Inter Milan and Roma.
He won four Serie A titles with his clubs and the UEFA Champions League. Maicon played in two World Cup finals with the Brazilian national team and three Copa America, totaling 76 appearances.
Maicon’s playing style is his high work rate and incredible stamina. As a right back, he runs up and down the side of the field, often supporting attacks behind the right wing. These shots are also ferocious, helping him to score goals.
Michael Ballack
Perhaps the most iconic Player that ever wore the number 13, Michael Ballack, is as legendary a footballer as they can be.
Ballack first made his name as a strong defensive midfielder, bringing his club Bayer Leverkusen to three runners-up finishes in 2002. The tragedy of becoming number two for thrice in a single season earned the team the nickname ‘Bayer Neverkusen’.
Ballack has it even worse later. That summer, he led the German national team to another runner-up finish in the 2002 World Cup.
Fortunately things became better for him. He transferred to Bayern Munich later, winning many German championships, before venturing into the Premier League with Chelsea. With the German national team, he played 98 games, scoring 42 goals.
Park Ji Sung
Park Ji Sung, or ‘Three Lungs Park,’ may best be remembered as the key Player in the South Korean team that made it to the semi-finals of World Cup 2002. Many people may remember him for his tireless runs and successes with Manchester United.
Park started in Korea before transferring to Kyoto Purple Sanga, a Japanese club. His World Cup success led to a transfer to PSV Eindhoven, and his amazing work rate brought him to Manchester United in 2005.
Park is remembered for his extreme work rate. He is known for his great off-the-ball movement to close down space and his ability to cover box-to-box. His speed and willingness to run around also make him a good marker. Sir Alex Ferguson has mentioned that Park may be one of the several players in the world who can mark Lionel Messi well.
Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler is a footballing legend in his own way. He is one of only three players who have made it to the World Cup Final both as a player and a coach, doing that in 1990 and 2002.
Rudi Völler spent his career playing in Germany, France, and Italy. Over his professional career, Völler played in 542 matches, scoring 257 goals. Half of the goals were scored by Werder Bremen and AS Roma. With the Die Mannschaft or the German national team, Voller played 90 games, scoring 47 times.
As a striker, Rudi Völler is known for constantly probing defenses with run-ins and picking up through passes for a clear shot. He is also known to be an accurate and prolific finisher, with most of his shots becoming goals.
Yassine Bounou
Morocco’s success in the 2022 World Cup brought their players to attention. Many may first notice Yassine Bounou there too. Yassine started keeping goals for Wydad FC in Morocco before finding himself a place in La Liga with Atletico Madrid.
His career picked up in Sevilla. Starting as a second-string, he eventually became a first-team keeper. He even managed to score a goal in 2021. His most memorable performances to date were in UEFA Europa League 2019-2020 final, where he saved a shot from Romelu Lukaku to help Sevilla win the cup.
Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller is one of the rare breeds of players. He is, so far, a one-club man. He developed as a youth player with Bayern Munich and played for Bayern Munich professionally throughout his career.
That loyalty to Bayern Munich earned him championships from domestic titles such as Bundesliga, German Cup, and more. On the European stage, he has lifted the Champions League as well.
With the German national team, Thomas Muller has a heavy responsibility. He inherited the ‘unlucky’ number 13 from Michael Ballack and has big shoes to fill. He took it with stride, scoring 44 goals in 121 appearances so far. He is also a key player in Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning team.
