Lamine Yamal to wear No. 19 for World Cup debut just like Lionel Messi: Who gets Spain’s No. 10?
worldsoccertalk.com · 2 months ago
Mirroring Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal has been assigned with the number 19 for his first World Cup, leaving Spain's number 10 to another star teammate. Lamine Yamal is set to make his highly anticipated World Cup debut in 2026 following his meteoric rise to soccer’s upper echelon, anchoring La Roja‘s pursuit of a second global title to replicate their historic 2010 triumph. Following the official jersey reveal, Yamal will wear the No. 19 shirt, strikingly mirroring Lionel Messi‘s debut number in the competition, leaving the iconic No. 10 to another star teammate. Last week, head coach Luis de la Fuente unveiled his 26-man roster to represent Spain at the tournament, marking the first time in history that a Spanish World Cup squad features zero Real Madrid players. On Monday, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) officially announced the squad numbers for the tournament, showcasing several intriguing assignments across the star-studded team. Lamine Yamal has been designated the No. 19 shirt, the exact number he wore when breaking onto the scene with Barcelona and the one he has proudly donned throughout his young international career. Ever since his debut match against Georgia in September 2023, the 18-year-old sensation has favored that specific number, steering Spain to a Euro 2024 trophy and a runner-up finish in the 2025 UEFA Nations League before carrying it into his first World Cup. Meanwhile, Spain‘s No. 10 jersey, which Yamal wore this past season with Barcelona, will remain in the hands of teammate Dani Olmo, who has firmly held ownership of the number since 2024. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the playmaker jersey belonged to Marco Asensio, who has since completely fallen out of favor and was dropped from the national team roster entirely. You’ve been waiting for them and here they are.These are the CONFIRMED SQUAD NUMBERS for the World Cup.ℹ️ Full details: https://t.co/mXWzpIx8kr#VamosEspaña | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/8PeXdkAf7W— Spanish Football (@SpainIsFootball) June 1, 2026 Perhaps the most unconventional choice on the list belongs to Barcelona’s Gavi, who will wear the No. 9 jersey, a number traditionally reserved for predatory target men and central strikers rather than deep-lying midfielders. Nonetheless, the combative midfielder has embraced that exact shirt ever since his historic international debut against Italy in October 2021 during the Nations League finals. Yamal continues to track closely with the Messi blueprint While Yamal has made clear that he wishes to avoid being compared to Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, the statistical and visual parallels to the Argentine legend continue to grow. For starters, both shared the identical path of wearing No. 19 at Barcelona during their formative professional years, but now the coincidences have extended to the grandest international stage. At the 2006 World Cup, an 18-year-old Lionel Messi was called up to his very first tournament with Argentina, ultimately turning 19 mid-competition while sporting the No. 19 on his back. Fast forward exactly 20 years later, and Yamal enters his debut World Cup at 18 years old, set to celebrate his 19th birthday on July 13 while assigned the exact same number. Lionel Messi of Argentina is put under pressure by Zinha, Gerardo Torrado and Gonzalo Pineda of Mexico. During that 2006 tournament in Germany, with Juan Roman Riquelme operating as Argentina’s No. 10, Messi was utilized primarily as an impact substitute under Jose Pekerman, a contrast to Yamal, who arrives as Spain’s undisputed focal point. Messi recorded a goal and an assist in three appearances during that debut tournament, benchmarks the young Barcelona winger will be eager to eclipse over the next month.
