The 18-year-old is following in a long line of world-class stars to don one of the most famous jerseys in football
It's official: Lamine Yamal is Barcelona's new number 10, inheriting the iconic shirt having penned a new, incredibly lucrative contract with the Catalan powerhouse. It's a shirt with a complex history, but plenty of its owners have claimed the Ballon d'Or down the years, and Yamal will want to be next.
As he follows in the footsteps of some greats of the game, the winger has vowed to forge his own path, saying: "I'm under no pressure; I'll continue enjoying myself with a different number. I'm grateful for the club's trust and I'll try to continue that legacy."
However, the plight of previous incumbent Ansu Fati – another La Masia 'wonderkid' who has endured a sharp fall from grace – should serve as a warning as Yamal prepares to shoulder the weight of expectation at Camp Nou.
But who are the former wearers that the 18-year-old should be looking to emulate? Below, GOAL ranks the top 10 No.10s in Barcelona's storied history…
Arquivo pessoal10Evaristo
As you're about to discover, a plethora of wonderful Brazilian players have donned the famous No.10 down the years, but Evaristo was the very first almost 70 years ago.
Bestowed that honour way back in 1957, the centre-forward plundered 105 goals in just 151 appearances across five seasons after leaving his home country, winning the Spanish title twice. Controversially, he would go on to join Real Madrid, where he was markedly less successful, but his reputation at Camp Nou remains intact.
AdvertisementGetty Images9Gheorghe Hagi
Undoubtedly the best Romanian footballer of all time and one of the finest attacking midfielders on his generation, Hagi graced Barcelona's No.10 shirt after crossing the Clasico divide in 1994 having previously plied his trade at Real Madrid.
Despite his injury problems, Hagi's two-year stay at Camp Nou was still littered with moments of pure magic, resulting in him having the rare honour of being adored by both Barca and Real fans 30 years on.
Getty Images8Luis Suarez
Before Luis Suarez there was… Luis Suarez. One of the greatest Spanish players of all time, he took on the No.10 during the 1950s and early 60s, briefly wearing the No.11 in the days before fixed squad numbers.
He was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1960, becoming the first Spaniard to claim the prize, not long before he departed the club for Inter, where he would also achieve legendary status.
PROSHOTS7Hristo Stoichkov
One of a host of Barcelona players to win the Ballon d'Or with the No.10 on his back, Bulgaria hero Stoichkov enjoyed his best years at Camp Nou in the shirt.
Forming a formidable striker partnership with Brazilian legend Romario, whom he often shared the jersey with, he secured a Golden Ball in 1993-94 season off the back of a prolific, title-winning campaign.
