Few numbers in football carry as much weight and mystique as the legendary number 10. Worn by icons such as Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi, this jersey has become synonymous with the most creative and influential players in the history of the sport. This summer, the number 10 shirt of the United States National Team belongs to Christian Pulisic, the talent who now bears the burden – and the honor – of representing the “Stars and Stripes” with this emblem.
At 27 years old, Pulisic has worn various numbers throughout his career with the national team. He made his debut wearing the number 17 in 2016, moved on to the number 11, and finally took on the number 10, which he will wear in this edition of the World Cup on home soil. The pressure is immense, but the attacking midfielder seems to thrive under that responsibility. Proof of this was his performance in the first warm-up match for the World Cup against Senegal, where he scored a goal and provided an assist, silencing critics who had pointed out his goal drought for the national team since 2024 and his inconsistency at AC Milan in the second half of the 2025-26 European season.
Although he is not the team captain – that honor belongs to veteran center-back Tim Ream – Pulisic symbolizes the hope and creativity of the American team in this World Cup, the second he competes in on home soil.
Pulisic’s association with the number 10 is not recent. The first time he wore this jersey was in 2015, in the U.S. under-17 team, but he only began wearing it regularly for the senior team in 2016. Although he is the primary owner of the number, other players such as Diego Luna, Alex Zendejas, Cristian Roldan, and Jesus Ferreira have also donned it in matches where Pulisic was not called up.
Before Pulisic, the last player to wear the number 10 in a World Cup finals was Mix Diskerud, in 2014 in Brazil. In the previous edition, in 2010, Landon Donovan held the jersey, while Claudio Reyna, father of current star Gio Reyna, wore it in 2002 and 2006. The historic Tab Ramos was its bearer in 1998. Interestingly, Pulisic will be only the second player from the U.S. national team to don the number 10 in a World Cup held at home, joining Roy Wegerle, who represented the U.S. in 1994.
The history of the number 10 in the U.S. national team dates back nearly a century, to defender Bill Fiedler, who wore it in a match at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. That encounter, against Italy, was marked by the brutality of the Italians and controversial officiating, in a politically and socially tense context due to the rise of the Nazi regime. Fiedler, a native of Philadelphia and a star of the now-defunct American Professional Soccer League, ended his career in 1940, but left a legacy that Pulisic now picks up, becoming the most recent player from Pennsylvania to wear the iconic jersey on such an important stage.
This summer, Christian Pulisic carries not just a jersey, but a whole history of glory, responsibility, and talent that has shaped American soccer. The number 10 is once again in his hands—and the world will be watching every touch, pass, and goal.
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