Associating soccer players with their jersey numbers has become a common practice these days. Some numbers quickly register in our minds because famous players wear them, and number 19 is one of them. As an iconic number, soccer players taking midfield positions wear this number. So, who are those soccer players?
Perhaps, you’ll be amazed to know that your favorite players have worn number 19. So, are you ready to get surprised?
Here is a list of famous soccer players who wore number 19:
- Lionel Messi
- Dwight Yorke
- Nicolas Pepe
- Leroy Sane
- Mario Gotze
- Santi Cazorla
- Gilberto Silva
- Julian Alvarez
- Remi Garde
- Raphael Varane
- Theo Hernandez
- Leonardo Bonucci
- Dani Ceballos
In this article, let’s look at how these players have added pride to the number 19 and vice versa. Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
Famous Soccer Players With The Number 19
| Player Name | Years Active | Country | Clubs | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | 1992- | Argentina | FC Barcelona Paris Saint-Germain | Right Winger |
| Dwight Yorke | 1988- | Trinidad and Tobago | Aston Villa
Manchester United Blackburn Rovers Birmingham City Sydney FC Sunderland AFC | Centre-Forward |
| Nicolas Pepe | 2012- | France | Ivory Coast
Arsenal FC US Orleans Angers SCO OGC Nice LOSC Lille | Right Winger |
| Leroy Sane | 2020- | Germany | Bayern Munich
Manchester City FC Schalke | Left Winger |
| Mario Gotze | 2010- | Germany | Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich PSV Eindhoven Eintracht Frankfurt | Attacking Midfield |
| Santi Cazorla | 2003- | Spain | Villareal CF
Arsenal FC Al-Sadd SC Malaga CF Recreativo Huelva | Midfielder |
| Gilberto Silva | 1997-2015 | Brazil | Arsenal FC
Panathinaikos Athens Gremio Football Porto Alegrense Clube Atletico Mineiro | Defensive Midfield |
| Julian Alvarez | 2018- | Argentina | CA River Plate
Manchester City | Centre-Forward |
| Remi Garde | 1984-1999 | France | Arsenal
R. Strasbourg Olympique Lyon | Defensive Midfield |
| Raphael Varane | 2010- | France | Real Madrid
Manchester United RC Lens | Centre-back |
| Theo Hernandez | 2015- | France | AC Milan
Real Madrid Real Sociedad Deportivo Alaves | Left-Back |
| Leonardo Bonucci | 2005- | Italy | Juventus FC
FC Internazionale AS Bari AC Milan Inter Milan Primavera AS Pisa 1909 | Centre-back |
| Dani Ceballos | 2013- | Spain | Real Madrid
Arsenal FC Real Betis B Real Betis Balompie | Central Midfield |
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi can be seen wearing numbers 10, 19, and 30, but he’s proudly denoted as the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time). He has worn the number 19 only for a short time (probably, in a few seasons), but this gesture added pride to the number.
Messi had a humble beginning in the Barcelona team when he quickly outperformed other players and became widely pronounced by experts in the industry. He was initially issued a number 30 jersey, but it wasn’t widely spoken about.
It was after two seasons that his position was secured. When did he wear number 19? When the left-back Fernando Navarro announced his departure, Messi gladly accepted this shirt. It was while wearing the number 19 jersey that Messi took his first goal for Barcelona, and he has considered it auspicious.
Why number 19 and not 10? Ronaldinho wore the jersey with the number 10, and the relationship with this number grew only in later times when Ronaldinho handed over his shirt to Messi.
While champions still exist in the field, Lionel Messi has extended his legacy to upcoming players and inspired them to go with the number 19 jersey as a sign of goodwill.
Dwight Yorke
Think of number 19 in soccer, and Dwight Yorke can easily strike your mind. As a Trinidadian and Tobagonian soccer player, he has also secured the Charconia Medal, which is considered the second-highest accolade in his country.
Yorke has made his prolific presence in a number of leagues, including the English Premier League, World Cup, and other club leagues. He has scored 19 goals (the same number as his jersey). While he’s proudly denoted as a highly talented goalscorer, his associations with Aston Villa and Manchester United were prominent.
His country has honored him by naming a stadium after his name.
Nicolas Pepe
Nicolas Pepe is considered an asset to the Ivory Coast. Born in France, Pepe has had rapid growth since 2016. As a right-winger, he has displayed strong skills against his opponents in the striking position, and this is one of the reasons for him to bag a number of accolades, including UNFP Ligue 1 player of the month (twice).
The reason he has made the number 19 proud is his association with Arsenal at a fee of 72 million pounds and his massive victory at the FA cup. His shirt number is still considered prestigious and is widely honored by his club. This highly capable player has also won Lille player of the season, UEFA Europa League squad of the season, and UNFP Ligue 1 team of the year.
Leroy Sane
If you’re thinking of someone who has had a starting journey with the number 19, it would be Leroy Sane. His incredible speed has been his strength in taking advantage of other players (including defenders) in soccer. As one of the leading and highly capable German players, his performance wearing number 19 is widely spoken about.
Back in 2016, Manchester City bought Sane and also assigned number 19 to Sane right from his brief career at Schalke 04. Perhaps, fans and Pep Guardiola expressed delight in his presence at Manchester City.
Mario Gotze
Have you ever got awestruck watching the 2014 FIFA finals? It’s no doubt that Mario Gotze’s Midas touch has played a strong role in reviving Germany in this World Cup. FC Bayern also mentioned that the number 19 was worn by Emil Kostadinov and Carsten Jancker in the past. Gotze has been in their footsteps in wearing this number.
Nevertheless, he was often called one of the brightest and most promising stars in the club, and Dortmund has always been proud of his accomplishments. Thanks to multiple Bundesliga titles, Gotze has also been the lucky charm.
Santi Cazorla
Santiago Cazorla tops the list of players wearing multiple hats. Originating from Spain, he has excelled in various positions in soccer, including winger and midfielder. His career with Villarreal opened up new horizons and allowed him to excel in professional soccer.
If there’s one extraordinary thing that one can associate Cazorla with, it’d be his accurate pass that can never miss out. Furthermore, he has made the number 19 proud with his huge number of accolades, including the UEFA European Championship, two FA cups, Qatar cups, Player of the year in Spain, and much more.
Another outstanding achievement is the title – Arsenal Player of the Season in his first year of the association at Arsenal. It was right then when the team won the FA cup after about 9 years.
Gilberto Silva
Another notable player from Arsenal who has made the number 19 proud is Gilberto Silva from Brazil. His career began at America Miniero, and his strong skills helped him with promotions. At his debut with Atletico Mineiro, Silva took over as a defensive midfielder and added more pride to the role. He continued the same role in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Silva gained the attention of Arsenal after he influenced Brazil’s victory in the FIFA World Cup 2002. In his association with Arsenal, he bagged two FA cups and also hit a new record for the fastest goal ever.
In the next few years, Silva appeared in a number of clubs and retired after his last game in 2013.
Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez is another strong Argentine striker who has quickly climbed the game of soccer with his skills and capabilities. Wearing number 19, his association with Manchester City in 2022 is widely spoken about.
Earlier, Leroy Sane had worn this shirt, and Alvarez considered it an honor to wear the same shirt for 18 million USD with River Plate. Having worn several accolades for his club, he has made the number proud as a young striker with massive talent.
Remi Garde
Some soccer players are known to date, especially for their extraordinary talents and squad numbers. Remi Garde has had a wonderful and promising career as a former French soccer player. He was instrumental in the promotion of Lyon to Ligue 1 and took the role of a defensive midfielder in the team.
He has also been behind the victory at UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1995. However, his association with Arsenal is widely spoken about. He took Patrick Vieira’s position. Although his presence wasn’t as frequent as other players, his influence was evident.
Out of various players that have had short but bright careers, Remi Garde is one of them. Today, he has succeeded in his managerial career but is still linked to his squad number by his fans.
Raphael Varane
Many soccer fans could still relate number 19 to Raphael Varane for his finest performances with Real Madrid. As an individual and as a team, he has helped the club progress rapidly. However, Manchester quickly bought Raphael Varane and allotted the same number, 19.
Although it wasn’t a long career for Varane with Manchester, he has had a great impact in a short span.
Theo Hernandez
It’s time to look at another Frenchman that has created a revolution in soccer with the number 19. One unique aspect of Theo Hernandez is his excellent full-back, which stands unbeaten to date.
His association with Atletico Madrid during his early years has observed outstanding performance. However, it was only after his move to Italy that he wore the number 19 jersey and became known for it. He has scored about five goals, 10 assists, and made 41 appearances. Perhaps, he’s remembered as that player who played for Italy with number 19.
Leonardo Bonucci
Wearing the number 19 is always close to bagging several titles/records. Leonardo Bonucci isn’t an exception in this case. Proudly known as the defensive legend, he’s been instrumental in the victory of Italy in the Euro 2020 campaign.
According to his records and appearances, his appearance with number 19 was often seen during his association with Juventus. Since his presence on the soccer field in 2009 till date, he has always played only for Italy. Although he has juggled between clubs, he has never taken new offers to play for international teams. However, his defense mechanism has gained millions of followers.
Dani Ceballos
Dani Ceballos is one of the most promising players in soccer history. He started his career with Spain U19 in 2014 and played with three prominent clubs – Real Betis Balompie, Arsenal FC, and Real Madrid.
Known as a prominent Spanish Midfielder, his performance at the Premier League for Arsenal in 2019 still stands unique and speaks loud about his potential. It was only in his recent times with Real Madrid that he began wearing the number 19 jersey, but he certainly has a rich story to be conveyed to his fans in the near future.
