I was watching a Messi and Zidane interview on YouTube. Zidane said the number 10 is not as important as it used to to be. The place and position of the number 10 are gone. He used 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 as an example, which are perhaps the two most used formations in football. Messi then agreed by saying there aren’t many 10 left and the position that shows such player is the leader, the midfielder, and the link player is gone.
It seems like the number is being handed to the superstars and to promote and advertise such players. Ansu Fati had no business wearing 10 for Barcelona. While Mabappe wears 10 for France, Griezmann is actually their 10. Rashford in Man United is not a 10. I could go on.
When Messi and Neymar retires from national team duty, Jude Bellingham seems to be the only young player to fill that void.
What do you guys think?
I think the ‘luxary’ 10 died a long time ago, the ones the just create and dont do much else. Ozil, Le Tiss etc. 10s just have to work harder now. De Bruyne, Bruno, Odergaard are all 10s and all do a full midfielders shift.
And it’s not just the ‘luxary 10’, at every position players are expected to be able to do more things. The ‘luxury GK’ who only stops shots died too.
This is the correct answer. 👏