Who Is The Best Number 7 In Football History? (Ranked)
Blogs

Who Is The Best Number 7 In Football History? (Ranked)

Who Is The Best Number 7 In Football History? (Ranked)

Over the decades, we have seen some iconic players don the number 7 shirt for their clubs and countries.

From "streets won't forget" ballers like Yannick Bolasie, to players who embodied the number so much they made a clothing brand out of it. Today we will be counting down the very best players in history to ever wear the famous number.

10. Jairzinho

One of the older names on this list, Jairzinho starred in Brazil's 1970 World Cup win.

Traditionally a right-winger, Jairzinho's career spanned over two decades, playing for a variation of clubs in Brazil. Nicknamed, "The Hurricane", Jairzinho scored in every single game in the 1970 World Cup, etching his name amongst Brazil's best.

After an illustrious career in Brazil, and after earning 81 caps for the national side, Jairzinho sought a new challenge towards the end of his career and signed for South African club Kaizer Chiefs. In what was considered somewhat of a guest appearance, Jairzinho only made 3 appearances in 1975 for Amakhosi, scoring 7 goals in these games.

Jairzinho was the first Brazillian to ever play in South Africa, and he is remembered as a world-class icon who graced the domestic league during the Apartheid era in South Africa.

9. Robert Pires

Famous for being an integral part of Arsenal's invincible winning season, Robert Pires carved out an impressive career.

After winning the World Cup with France in 1998, Pires teamed up with French compatriot Arsene Wenger at Highbury. In 189 league appearances, Pires scored 62 times for the Gunners. Traditionally playing as a left-winger, Pires is widely regarded as one of the greatest the Premier League has ever seen.

The end of his career saw him sign for Aston Villa in the 2010/11 season. Unfortunately, being 37-years old at the time, Pires was unable to recapture the spark he once had in the league. However, make no mistake, Pires is a French and Premier League icon.

8. Garrincha

Manuel Francisco dos Santos, or simply "Garrincha" was an anomaly in world football. Garrincha translates to "The Angel with Bent Legs", and he was given this nickname due to his extraordinary birth defect, which saw his right leg being 6cm shorter than his left.

Physical misalignments aside, Garrincha did not let this deter him, nor did he let it stop him from winning two World Cups with Brazil in 1958 and 1962. His standout tournament was in 1962, where in the absence of the injured Pele, Garrincha stepped up and won the golden boot, catapulting Brazil to their second consecutive World Cup.

7. Kevin Keegan

Kevin Keegan won 2 Ballon D'or awards during his playing days, cementing his status among football's elite. It was at Anfield where Keegan really made his name, winning three First Division titles, a UEFA Cup, and the 1977 European Cup.

After 6 years at Liverpool, he sought a new challenge with Hamburg in the Bundesliga, winning the league and leading the side to a European final.

Widely regarded as one of the best England have ever produced, his versatility and goal-scoring prowess make him one of the most complete forwards of all time.

After hanging up his boots, Keegan tried his hand in management, coaching Newcastle in two different spells, Fulham, and Manchester City. He also coached the England national side between 1999 and 2000.

6. Luis Figo

Regarded as one of the best Portugal has ever produced, Luis Figo won the 2000 Ballon D'or. Famously, Figo made the switch from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000, prompting one of the most controversial fan moments in history, which saw an enraged Barcelona fan launch a pig's head onto the pitch.

Figo won 4 La Liga titles between the 2 clubs and lifted a Champions League during his career. After leaving the Galacticos, Figo signed for Inter Milan where he went on to win a further 4 league titles.

For Portugal, he was a runner-up in the Euro 2004 final which famously saw Greece lift the trophy. Luis Figo, one of Portugal's best.

5. David Beckham

While David Beckham may not be the most talented player on this list when compared the others, he is perhaps one of the greatest icons the game has ever produced.

Part of the Man United youth setup, from an early age David Beckham had something special about him. His prowess from the dead ball was like nothing ever seen before, and his ability to shoot from long range was unbelievable.

After starring for England, winning 6 Premier League titles and 1 Champions League with Man United, Beckham made the switch to Real Madrid. During his time with the Galacticos, Beckham lifted the La Liga title.

In what was considered one of the most lucrative deals in football history, David Beckham signed for LA Galaxy in 2007. However, the Englishman still had much to offer before calling it a day in the USA, spending time on loan at AC Milan and PSG.

Beckham retired in 2013 after lifting the Ligue 1 title with PSG.

4. Andriy Shevchenko

Andriy Shevchenko is the only Ukranian to ever win the Ballon D'or, lifting it in 2004 while playing for AC Milan after winning the UEFA Champions League. Shevchenko also won a Serie A title, UEFA Super Cup, and an Italian Super Cup with the Rossoneri.

In a new era for Chelsea under Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Shevchenko made the switch to Stamford Bridge in 2006. Despite winning the League Cup in the 2006/07 season, it was clear to see the Ukrainian was past his best, only having 9 Premier League goals to his name in 3 years.

After a lacklustre loan spell back at the San Siro, Shevchenko returned to Ukraine with Dynamo Kyiv in 2009 where he saw out the end of his career. He also made his final appearance for the National team in Euro 2012, capping off his 48 goals in 111 appearances for the country.

3. Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona is a Premier League icon. Playing for both Leeds and Man United, the French centre forward didn't score 70 Premier League goals without controversy.

Famously being banned for after an off the ball incident with a fan against Crystal Palace in 1995, Cantona seerved a nine-month ban from football. This didn't deter him however as he still went on to lift four Premier League trophies with Man United.

Widely regarded as one of the calmest finishers ever, Cantona will forever be remembered as one of the original great Frenchman in the Premier League.

After retiring, Eric Cantona has tried his hand at acting, starring in adverts and movies alike. He may not quite be at the level of Vinnie Jones, but the effort is there!

In 2019, during his acceptance speech for the UEFA President's award, Cantona made what was perhaps considered the most obscure speech of all time regarding football. In this speech, he stated that, "only accidents, crimes, wars, will still kill us. But unfortunately, crimes, wars, will multiply".

Despite this politically motivated speech, the footballing world was left bemused as to the relevance of this. Nonetheless, this speech is just testament to the character he is.

2. George Best

George Best once stated that he gave up women and alcohol for 20 minutes in 1969, and those were the worst 20 minutes of his life.

Despite his questionable lifestyle away from football, the Northern Irish winger was one of the greatest football has ever seen, with the late great Pele once calling him the greatest footballer in the world.

George Best enjoyed an illustrious career at Man United between 1963 and 1974, winning the European Cup and lifting 2 Premier League titles. He also won the Ballon D'or in 1968.

One of football's greatest personalities, George Best is an icon we won't ever see the likes of again.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

It shouldn't really come as a surprise, should it? The greatest player to ever wear the number 7 shirt is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.

First wearing the shirt in 2003 upon signing for Man United, Ronaldo has worn it for every season of his career since apart from the 2009/10 season when he signed for Real Madrid. Back in 2013, the five time Ballon D'or winner went as far as to trademark the number, launching the "CR7" clothing range.

Ronaldo's longevity is something to behold. Now we could sit here and tell you about the greatness of Cristiano Ronaldo until the cows come home, but you already know all of that, so instead, we will leave you with a few unbelievable stats and facts about his career.

Firstly, despite never playing in the Bundesliga, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most goals against German and Bayern Munich legend Manuel Neuer out of any other player.

As a child, Ronaldo was nicknamed "Cry Baby" because he would cry every time his team lost. Perhaps this resonated with his senior career too.

Finally, it could've all been very different. After signing for Man United, Ronaldo requested the number 28 shirt. However, in an attempt to showcase his brilliance, Sir Alex Ferguson insisted he took the number 7 shirt from David Beckham.

CR28 doesn't ring as nicely, so thanks Sir Alex!

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist

Arthur Turner

EFL Transfer and News Writer

You May Also Like
See more
Top 10 EFL Championship Defenders In Football History (Ranked)

Top 10 EFL Championship Defenders In Football History (Ranked)

What Is A Regista In Football?

What Is A Regista In Football?

Pink it, Shrink it, Shut it : The Short Life Of Sky Sports Halo

Pink it, Shrink it, Shut it : The Short Life Of Sky Sports Halo

Videos
See more
Argentina's Massive Talent Pool | Off The Bar Podcast Episode 4 ft. Nacho Z
Seb & Colin Welcomes their first guest ‪@soynachoz‬ where they chat all things South American Football | Off the Bar Podcast Episod
Gyokeres Already a Failure? | Off The Bar Podcast Episode 3
Is Gyokeres already a flop? 🤔 VAR in the Championship & the West Ham Situation | Off The Bar with Colin & Seb Episode 3
Olise to win the next Ballon D'or | Off The Bar Podcast Episode 2
Did Dembele Deserve the Ballon D'or? 🏆 Olise the next winner? & players mental health! | Off The Bar with Colin & Seb Episode 2
Latest In Blogs
See more
Our Completely Honest EFL Championship MW17 Analysis | Wednesday’s Football in Review

Our Completely Honest EFL Championship MW17 Analysis | Wednesday’s Football in Review

EFL Blog

Full Of Promise, Lacking Substance - Is It Time For Ryan Mason To Go?

Full Of Promise, Lacking Substance - Is It Time For Ryan Mason To Go?

EFL Opinion Piece

Best Young Football Players To Watch In 2025

Best Young Football Players To Watch In 2025

Football Blog

Join our newsletter

Become a part of our community and never miss an update from Football Park.