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Skillful, hardworking wide players and strikers wear number 21. Many attacking greats have worn the number 21, from speedy wingers who beat defenses to deadly strikers who regularly score. This page features some of soccer’s most thrilling number 21s and their contributions to club and international championships.
These superstars demonstrate what it means to wear the number 21, whether they score goals and assists for club and country or dazzle fans with their dribbling. These players, from Rivaldo and Ronaldinho to Lukaku, added flair, skill, and vitality to their teams. They defined world-class attacking with World Cup and European Championship wins. Their anecdotes demonstrate the number 21 shirt’s longevity.
- Early career
- Prime career
- Awards and accolades
- Late career
This article will focus on the legendary soccer players with the number 21 who have made a name in the game. The article will talk about their:
The Best Soccer Players With The Number 21
David Silva
David Silva is a professional soccer player and a Spanish midfielder for Real Sociedad’s La Liga team. He is mainly a winger, although he can also play as an offensive midfielder. David has acquired the moniker “Merlin” for his wizard-like passing talents despite playing with his left foot.
Stats:
- Date of Birth: January 8, 1986
- Nationality: Spanish
- Teams Played for:
- Valencia: 2004-2010
- Manchester City: 2010-2020
- Real Sociedad: 2020-present
- Positions Played: Attacking Midfielder, Winger
- Trophies Won:
- World Cup: 2010
- European Championship: 2008, 2012
- Premier League: 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020
- FA Cup: 2010-2011
- EFL Cup: 2013-2014, 2015-2016, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020
- FA Community Shield: 2012
- Other Significant Achievements:
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
- Premier League Player of the Month: 2011, 2017
- Manchester City Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2017
- Manchester City Goal of the Season: 2010, 2017
- Manchester City Players’ Player of the Year: 2011, 2017
- Manchester City Performance of the Season: 2011, 2017
He began his career as a goalkeeper before switching positions to become a winger. During his 14th birthday, he was offered to join Valencia CF’s youth team. He started his professional career at Valencia CF, playing over 160 games, and won the Copa del Rey in 2008.
- Two years later, Silva moved to the Premier League club, Manchester City, and played over 400 games.
- At Manchester City, he won two FA Cups, five League Cups, and four Premier League titles.
- Silva played at Manchester City for a collective ten seasons and left the team at the end of the 2019-20 season.
Silva got to break a record set by John Terry by becoming the youngest player to reach 200 wins in the Premier League. He has also been elected to the PFA Team of the Year three times. He also represented his country, Spain, for 12 years, making his debut in 2006 and retiring in 2018. His partnership with Xavi and Andres Iniesta resulted in them winning the UEFA Euro 2008, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2012.
He is the fourth-highest goalscorer in Spain with 35 goals and the second-highest assist provider with 29 assists. He is also among the only 13 Spanish players to amass over 100 caps.
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo was born on March 19th, 1979. The Italian professional soccer player is regarded as one of the best midfielders of all time and one of his generation’s finest midfielders. He won the FIFA World Cup with Italy in 2006 and also won Serie A with AC Milan and Juventus.
Stats:
- Date of Birth: May 19, 1979
- Nationality: Italian
- Teams Played for:
- Brescia: 1995-1998
- Inter Milan: 1998-2001
- AC Milan: 2001-2011
- Juventus: 2011-2015
- New York City FC: 2015-2017
- Positions Played: Midfielder
- Trophies Won:
- Serie A: 2003-2004, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015
- Coppa Italia: 2002-2003, 2014-2015
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013
- UEFA Champions League: 2002-2003, 2006-2007
- FIFA World Cup: 2006
- Other Significant Achievements:
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
- Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2012, 2013
- UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 2012
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006
- Ballon d’Or Bronze Award: 2012
He has always been associated with the number 21 shirt throughout his long career. However, he later revealed that this was for superstitious reasons. His father was born on the 21st. He got married on the 21st. He also made his debut on the 21st in the Italian league, Serie A. In 2011, he was almost moving to Qatar on a very lucrative deal but decided against it one night at 9.21 p.m. So the number 21 had some intrinsic significance for him.
Pirlo started his professional career in 1995 as an attacking midfielder with hometown club Brescia. With Brescia, he won Serie B in 1997 and later signed for Serie A club Inter Milan. He moved to across-town rivals AC Milan in 2001.
At AC Milan, he transformed into a world-class player, winning two Serie A titles, two UEFA Championship League, two UEFA Super Cups, a FIFA Club World Cup, and a Copa Italia and a Supercoppa Italiana.
- In 2011, he transferred to Juventus, where he remarkably won four consecutive Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and another Coppa Italia.
- At the International level, Pirlo played 116 matches, ranking him the fifth-highest most capped Italian player of all time.
- In 2002, he made his senior debut and would later captain his national team. Furthermore, in 2006, he was instrumental in Italy’s triumph at the FIFA World Cup, where he won the Bronze Ball and was elected in the Team of the Tournament.
He continued with his spectacular performance, leading Italy to the 2012 UEFA European Championships finals. He represented his country in the UEFA European Championships in 2004 and 2008, in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, and in the 2014 Confederations Cup.
He was named three times as the Serie A Footballer of the Year. In 2012, he was elected the UEFA Team of the Year. Additionally, he finished in the top ten three times in the Ballon d’Or and was named an MLS star in 2016. He was also elected to the Italia Hall of Fame in 2019.
He played in various midfield positions due to his vision and passing accuracy. His fans knew him for composure in possession. He also drew praise for his touch, and how he balanced the ball elegantly left many speechless. After retirement, he went to coach the Juventus Serie C club.
Philipp Lahm
Phillipp Lahm is a German professional soccer player who played as a full back. Lahm was the captain of the Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, having led them through numerous honors, including the 2013 UEFA Championship League.
Stats:
- Date of Birth: November 11, 1983
- Nationality: German
- Teams Played for:
- Bayern Munich: 2002-2017
- VfB Stuttgart (on loan): 2003-2005
- Positions Played: Right-Back, Defensive Midfield
- Trophies Won:
- Bundesliga: 2005-2006, 2007-2008, 2009-2010, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017
- DFB-Pokal: 2005-2006, 2007-2008, 2009-2010, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2015-2016
- UEFA Champions League: 2012-2013
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2013
- Other Significant Achievements:
- FIFA World Cup: 2014
- UEFA European Championship: 2008
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2012
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006, 2010, 2014
- UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 2008
He also captained his national team and led them to win the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2006, 2010, and 2014, he was included in the World Cup Team of the Tournament. Also in the UEFA Team of the Tournament in 2008 and 2012.
- Lahm is right-footed but could play on both wings of the field due to his tactical intelligence and versatility.
- Particularly, he was known for his pace, technique, stamina, and precise tackling abilities, as well as his small stature that earned him the name ‘magic dwarf.’
He is regarded as one of the best full-backs of all time due to his tackling ability, precision to read the game, and leadership qualities
![Philipp Lahm, the Magic Dwarf [Skills & Goals]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AmkYQO2bl0Q/0.jpg)
Ricardo Pereira
Ricardo rocked the number 21 jersey as he played for Leicester. He is a Portuguese soccer player who plays as a full-back for the Premier League club, Leicester City, and the Portugal national team.
Stats:
Ricardo Pereira
- Date of Birth: October 6, 1993
- Nationality: Portuguese
- Teams Played for:
- Vitória Guimarães: 2011-2013
- Porto: 2013-2015
- Nice (on loan): 2015-2016
- Leicester City: 2018-present
- Positions Played: Right-Back, Right Midfield, Left-Back
- Trophies Won:
- Primeira Liga: 2017-2018
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2015
- Other Significant Achievements:
- Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2017-2018
- Leicester City Player of the Season/Players’ Player of the Season: 2018-2019
When Pereira moved to Leicester City from Porto, he debuted on 10th August, playing the 2-1 away defeat against Manchester United. On his 25th birthday, he scored his first goal and was also voted as his team’s Player of the Season.
He won 35 caps for Portugal at the youth level in his international career, scoring 12 goals. He played in the under-21 squad that finished second in the 2015 UEFA Championship, contributing with four starting appearances and netting in the 5-0 semi-final against Germany. Honors he amassed while wearing the number 21 jersey include;
- FA Cup: 2020-21
- FA Community Shield: 2021
Angelo Ogbonna
Obinze Angelo Ogbonna is an Italian professional soccer player who plays as a center back for the Premier League club, West Ham United, and Italy’s national team. He wears the number 21 shirt.
Stats:
- Date of Birth: May 23, 1988
- Nationality: Italian-Nigerian
- Teams Played for:
- Torino: 2002-2004
- Juventus: 2004-2013
- West Ham United: 2015-present
- Positions Played: Centre-Back
- Trophies Won:
- Serie A: 2011-2012, 2012-2013
- UEFA Europa Conference League: 2022-2023
- Other Significant Achievements:
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2012
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
He appeared for the first time in the Europa League in the third qualifying round, where he netted against Astra Giurgiu at the Boleyn Ground. On 11th December 2020, Ogbonna scored a winning goal in a 2-1 away win over Leeds United, which secured West Ham’s first win at Elland Road since 2000. He is known for his outstanding physical attributes, being a competent tackler, having good possession sense, and reading the game with accuracy.
Players with speed, skill, and goal-scoring ability out wide or in the middle have worn 21. Wingers and forwards have provided excitement, tricks, and crucial goals to their sides during successful periods. From Brazilian dribblers to deadly Belgian strikers, number 21’s attacking skills have helped win club and international titles for decades.
These athletes beat opponents, provide assists, and, most importantly, score. On the wing or leading the line, they captivated spectators and became legends. As the game evolves, new number 21s will try to emulate these superstars and put their own mark on the jersey. These attackers made number 21 synonymous with talent, goals, and winning.
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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.
