Number 14 may look like a harmless number. It is not in the first 11, nor was it signaling bad luck, such as number 13.
However, many legends have worn the number 14 and delivered their magic to the world. Who are these soccer players?
The 15 best soccer players who wore number 14 are:
- Claudio Pizarro
- David Ginola
- Diego Simeone
- Ivan Perisic
- Javier Mascherano
- Johann Cruyff
- Jordan Henderson
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Marcos Llorente
- Marco Tardelli
- Philippe Coutinho
- Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
- Thiery Henry
- Xabi Alonso
- Youri Djorkaeff
This article looks into each of these legendary players, such as their careers and achievements.
We also have articles on legendary players who have worn the jersey number #18, #19 & #21, so feel free to check them out.
Table of Contents
15 Best Soccer Players Who Wore Number 14
| Player name | Years Active | Country | Major Clubs Represented | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claudio Pizarro | 1996 – 2020 | Peru |
| Striker |
| David Ginola | 1985 – 2002 | France |
| Winger |
| Diego Simeone | 1987 – 2006 | Argentina |
| Midfielder |
| Ivan Perisic | 2007 – | Croatia |
| Winger |
| Javier Mascherano | 2003 – 2020 | Argentina |
| Center Back, Midfielder |
| Johann Cruyff | 1964 – 1984 | Holland |
| Forward, attacking midfielder |
| Jordan Henderson | 2008 – | England |
| Midfielder |
| Kevin De Bryune | 2008 – | Belgium |
| Attacking midfielder |
| Marcos Llorente | 2014 – | Spain |
| Midfielder, right back |
| Marco Tardelli | 1972 – 1988 | Italy |
| Midfielder, defender |
| Philippe Coutinho | 2008 – | Brazil |
| Attacking midfielder, winger |
| Pierre Emerick Aubameyang | 2008 – | Gabon |
| Striker |
| Thiery Henry | 1994 – 2014 | France |
| Striker |
| Xabi Alonso | 1999 – 2017 | Spain |
| Midfielder |
| Youri Djorkaeff | 1984 – 2006 | France |
| Forward, attacking midfielder |
Claudio Pizarro
How good is Claudio Pizarro? He is the highest-scoring Latin American player in the German soccer league (Bundesliga). He is also on the top scorers’ list for the clubs he has played for, including Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen.
Many soccer fans may remember Claudio Pizarro launching ferocious shots and scoring goals like a machine with Bayern Munich in the early 2000s. He later played with Werder Bremen, Chelsea, and FC Koln before hanging his boots.
Over his professional career, Pizarro played in 596 matches, scoring a staggering 236 goals. With the Peruvian national team, Pizarro was capped 85 times, scoring 20 goals.
David Ginola
David Ginola started playing for Toulon before finding his way to the top of French football, playing with Paris Saint Germain. He later played for several English Premier League clubs. He stayed the longest with Tottenham Hotspur, playing over 100 games.
Ginola is remembered for his ability to get past defenders and his excellent finishing. He is also one of the key players in the ‘Entertainers,’ a group of Newcastle United players who dominated the Premier League in the 90s.
Johann Cruff mentioned that he believed Ginola may be the best soccer player in the world in the 1990s. Ginola has since moved into football punditry and tried to run for the presidency of FIFA in 2015 but failed.
Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone was known for his fiery display as a player and coach. As a player, Simeone played in Argentina, Spain, and Italy, winning championships such as the La Liga, Serie A, and also UEFA Cup.
Simeone is commonly seen as a good central midfielder, willing to run hard to cover between the boxes. He is remembered for his tenacity, bravery to get in it with other players for the ball, and leadership.
Simeone himself mentioned that his playing style was inspired by Lothar Matthaus and Falcao. Diego Simeone currently manages Atletico Madrid and is, at the moment, the longest-serving La Liga manager.
Ivan Perisic
Ivan Perisic first came up from the youth system of Hajduk Split and Sochaux. He later made his name in Belgium with Club Brugge. That earned him a transfer to Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg.
However, it was at Inter Milan that he made his impact. He totaled 208 appearances for the Azzurri, scoring 49 goals. He has won the Bundesliga, the Serie A, and many other Italian and German championships.
Perisic was part of the Croatian team that made it to the finals of 2018 and the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup. As a winger, he plays the key role of bringing the ball down the sideline and floating in crosses for the strikers and forwards.
Javier Mascherano
In his playing days, Mascherano plays as a central defensive midfielder. However, in his later years, he switched to playing center back. Many Barcelona and Liverpool fans may remember Mascherano well.
With Liverpool, he was the key player in the center of the field during the 2007 season, reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League. Mascherano may be remembered as a tough, disciplined center-back with Barcelona.
Mascherano won many championships, including several La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League honors. Mascherano was capped 147 times with the Argentinian national team and was the team’s captain from 2008 – 2011.
Johann Cruyff
Cruyff may be the ‘original’ number 14, as in the first player that made number 14 a number to be feared in the field. He was so good the Dutch national team retired jersey #14 in 2007.
However, Cruyff never wanted the number, it was originally meant as a temporary placeholder. His teammate Gerrie Muhren could not find his shirt then, so Cruyff took off his number 9 and gave it to him. He randomly picked up a shirt from the basket and ended up with a #14.
Cruyff was a key player that made ‘Total Football,’ a soccer concept still used today. Cruyff was also credited as the European player of the century in 1999 and was widely seen as one of soccer’s greatest players and managers.
Jordan Henderson
He was probably among the most influential English soccer players in the 2010s. Jordan Henderson started his career with Sunderland before earning a transfer to Liverpool in 2011. He has been there ever since, playing over 343 games and scoring 29 goals.
His long service to Liverpool is also very fruitful. He won the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and other domestic titles. He also regularly plays for the Three Lions and was part of the English team in many World Cup and Euro tournaments.
As a central midfielder, Jordan Henderson spent time running between the boxes. He may be best known as the key player that links the defense with the forwards. He picks up balls, looks forward, and then launches a key through or floating pass that launches an attack.
Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne has been called the most ‘complete’ player and is widely seen as one of the best in the world. With that critical acclaim, De Bruyne has helped his club Manchester City to multiple domestic championships and cups.
De Bruyne primarily plays as a central or attacking midfielder but has occasionally been used as a winger or a false number 9. De Bruyne is known not for his strength but for his vision, technique, and ability to speed past opposing players.
De Bruyne was capped 97 times with the Belgian national team, scoring 25 goals.
Marcos Llorente
Marcos Llorente may be most remembered for making the ‘ultimate sin’ of switching clubs right in the soccer-crazy city of Madrid. He transferred from Real Madrid to Atletico Madrid in 2019.
However, Llorente is more than that. With Atletico Madrid, he has contributed as a right-back and midfielder. He was also instrumental in helping Atletico Madrid win La Liga in 2021, together with Luis Suarez.
Llorente may be known for his pressing and ball-winning skills. Llorente is also blazing fast. He was the 6th fastest player in La Liga in the 2019-2020 season, with a top speed of 35.09 KM/H (about 21.8 miles per hour).
Marco Tardelli
Many may remember Tardelli for his passionate celebration during the 1982 World Cup. After scoring a goal, he ran to the fans shaking his fists while screaming, “goal, goal!” with tears down his face. It was, in fact, the most iconic moment in the history of the World Cup.
However, Tardelli also has an illustrious soccer career. His playing career spans 16 years with clubs such as Juventus and Inter Milan. He was also active in coaching and managerial roles after retirement, coaching several Serie A clubs such as Inter Milan.
Tardelli is part of the so-called Catenaccio defensive system, popular with Italian teams. He is a strong, powerful, and hardworking central defensive midfielder with the stamina and speed to cover from box to box. Tardelli is also a World Cup winner, lifting the trophy in 1982 with Italy.
Philippe Coutinho
Coutinho cost Barcelona over 160 million Euros (about 171 million US Dollars) to sign from Liverpool in 2018. That made him the world’s most expensive midfielder at the time.
This alone should give you an idea of how good Coutinho is. He could be said to be the main offense engine, orchestrating plays and scoring goals. Coutinho is also known for his exceptional drilling skills, compared to Lionel Messi or Ronaldinho.
Coutinho has won multiple German, English, and Spanish championships with Liverpool, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich. He has also won the UEFA Champions League as well with Bayern.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang first started with the youth system of AC Milan and was promoted to the senior squad. He, however, failed to find a place and instead transferred to Saint-Etienne.
There, he excelled, scoring 37 goals in 87 appearances. This led him into the eyes of Borussia Dortmund, who signed him up. He exploded in the Bundesliga, scoring 98 goals in 144 games. That led him to multiple honors and championship titles.
He then transferred to Arsenal and repaid the faith again, scoring 68 goals in 128 appearances. A prolific striker, Aubameyang is known for his ability to run between defenders and his cool, collected finish.
Thiery Henry
Thierry Henry may be the best striker in the history of the sport. Henry was supposed to play with Juventus. However, disputes led to him moving to Arsenal in 1999. The move may have happened under unhappy circumstances, but little would Henry imagine how fruitful it would be.
Over 8 years, from 1999 to 2007, Henry played 254 times for Arsenal, scoring a staggering 174 goals. That led to multiple English championships and four Premier League Golden Boot awards for top goalscorers in the season.
Henry also won multiple championships with the French team, such as the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship.
Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso was among the few players who achieved great success with his clubs and the national team. He first built his name with Real Sociedad before transferring to Liverpool.
He may best be remembered as the main player in the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ when Liverpool went from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan 3-4 in the UEFA Champions League final in 2004. Alonso later played for Barcelona, winning more championships.
Xabi Alonso is also a 2010 World Cup, 2008, and 2012 European Championships winner with Spain.
Youri Djorkaeff
Djorkaeff is nicknamed The Snake due to his ability to get past defenders by running around them. He is also known for his ability to hit hard shots that cause the ball’s trajectory to bend. He has played as a midfielder, forward, and also, at times, as a striker.
Many may remember Djorkaeff as a key player in the French team that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship.
At the club level, he is known for his successes with Monaco and Inter Milan and his brief spell with the English side Bolton Wanderers in the early 2000s.
