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The number two Jersey in sports has garnered quite a reputation. Across different sports, Be it basketball, baseball, American football, or soccer, influential sportspeople have donned this number and created legacies with it.
In soccer, we have seen legends rise with this number on their backs. The number 2 is meant for defenders, specifically the right back. Some iconic players that have rocked this number include Gary Neville (Man-U) and retired Colombian footballer Ivan Cordoba.
In this article, we shall learn more about these and more players. We feature their:
- Club Careers
- International Careers
- Iconic achievements
Let’s go through the soccer players with the number 2 and get acquainted with how each, in their impressive unique way, shaped the game of soccer and put a mark on the number 2 jersey, making it one of the most revered jerseys to wear.
Best Soccer Players With Number 2
We list current players and history greats that have worn the number 2 soccer jersey. This list of the best number 2s contains mainly outside backs, also known as full-backs, which is the traditional number for a right-sided defender.
There is also a center-back and midfielder that has worn the number, let’s find out who.
Cafu
Marcos Evangelista de Morais, popularly known as Cafu, is a legend who donned the number two jersey. To begin with, he holds the record for most international caps by a Brazilian player. He’s also the first player in history to play in three World Cup finals in a row.
He didn’t simply appear but also impressed the crowds with his skills. In 1994 and 2002, he led his squad to two memorable World Cup victories. He was the captain of their 2002 World Cup campaign.
He is further regarded as one of the greatest fullbacks of all time, one of the greatest Brazillian and South American players of his generation, and one of the best defenders ever to play in Serie A.
Deservedly, he was added to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team in 2020.
Kyle Walker
Kyle Andrew Walker is the right-back for the Premier League Club, Manchester City, and the England National team. At the age of seven, Walker joined Sherfield United, starting his career.
At 18 years, he was promoted to the first team and debuted at his boyhood club.
Walker was instrumental in the 2009 Championship play-off final as he played for the Blades and saw his team defeat Burnley.
Later, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur and was immediately loaned to Sherfield United. After being loaned a few times, he earned his spot at Tottenham Hotspur, where he was impressive and saw himself being called up to the England national team.
Walker was then transferred to Manchester City after five seasons with Tottenham. Walker has helped his teams win various cups and championships in his career.
While at Manchester City, he has won the Premier League title thrice, four EFL Cup trophies, and an FA Cup. Internationally he played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, and 2018.
He has been dressing in the number 2 jersey since the 2013/2014 season.
Antonio Rudiger
Antonio Rudiger is a professional German soccer player. He plays for the Premier League Club Chelsea, dawning number 2, and the German national team. He is prolific in his center-back position.
He started his career at VfB Stuttgart, but in 2015 he moved to Roma. At first, he was on loan, but he was later signed. In 2017 he moved to the Premier League and was signed by Chelsea.
He has won the FA Cup, UEFA Europa Cup, and the UEFA Champions League at Chelsea. He made his international debut for Germany in 2014 and was part of the 2018 World Cup squad.
Diego Godin
Diego Roberto Godin Leal is the captain of the Uruguay national team. He is the country’s all-time most-capped player.
He started playing for his country in 2005 and has represented Uruguay in three World Cups and six Copa America tournaments. He won Copa America in 2011.
Diego started his career with Cerro and moved to Nacional after three years. Later he moved to Spain and joined Villareal.
But he has most of his wins from Atletico Madrid, where he wore the Jersey number two. While at Atletico Madrid, he won eight titles, including La Liga.
In Spain, he also played for Inter Milan and Cagliari and moved to Atletico Mineiro earlier this year.
Gary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville is a former English soccer player who spent his entire career at Manchester United.
Gary comes from an athletic family where his younger twin siblings are a former Manchester United and Everton football player (Phil Neville), a retired netball international (Tracey Neville).
When he retired back in 2011, he was the longest-serving player at Manchester United behind Ryan Giggs. He is also one of the most decorated players in Europe, having won 20 titles, including eight Premier League titles and two Champions League.
He captained Manchester United for five years.
Gary played for the England national team debuting in 1995. He is currently the country’s most capped right-back, having played for the country for ten years.
He is now a Sky Sports football pundit and Salford City co-owner.
Clint Dempsey
Clint Drew Dempsey is a retired soccer player from the United States of America. He debuted in the international team in 2004, and before his retirement, he had more than 140 caps and scored 57 international goals.
This saw Drew become the fourth-most capped player in America and ties with Landon Donovan as the all-time top scorers.
Dempsey represented the US at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup three World Cups, where he scored in each and four CONCACAF Gold Cups and won three.
In the Premier League, he represented Fulham and Tottenham. At Fulham, he became the club’s leading goal scorer in the Premier League. He also became the first player from America to score a hat trick in the Premier League.
In 2012, he moved to Tottenham with a record signing for any American football player of $9.6 million. While at Tottenham, Dempsey scored 72 goals making him the leading American football player goal scorer in a European League.
Later he moved to America, where he started his career playing for Furman University’s men’s soccer team and England Revolution.
But now, he had moved to Settle Sounders, where he led the club to win the 2014 Supporter’s Shield. He was capped 115 times and scored 47 goals. He, however, retired in 2018.
He has been ranked as the greatest American soccer player in history by ESPN, FOX Sports, and NBC Sports.
Ivan Cordoba
Ivan Cordoba is a former Colombian soccer player currently serving as the sporting director of Venezia, an Italian Serie A club.
Cordoba played as a defender. He spent most of his career before retiring in 2012 at Internazionale, where he was for ten years.
Before playing for Internazionale, Cordoba had also played for San Lorenzo, Atletico Nacional, and Deportivo Rionegro.
Cordoba represented Colombia in four editions of Copa America and scored the winning goal in 2001. He also served as the captain of his country’s national team.
Dani Carvajal
Daniel “Dani” Carvajal Ramos is a professional Spanish soccer player playing right-back for Madrid and the Spanish national team.
He dresses in the number two jersey. Dani is regarded as one of the best right-backs of his time. He has seen his career grow while at Real Madrid Youth.
He was at Bayern Leverkusen for one season but then returned to Real Madrid. At Real Madrid, he has now won 16 major trophies, including four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, and a Copa del Rey.
He made his international debut in 2014, representing Spain in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
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Joel is a seasoned soccer journalist and analyst with many years of experience in the field. Joel specializes in game analysis, player profiles, transfer news, and has a keen eye for the tactical nuances of the game. He played at various levels in the game and coached teams - he is happy to share his insight with you.
