This is a list of the best soccer players who have worn the number 13 jersey.
In this post, you’ll learn about the legendary number 13 players in soccer and what makes them so special.
But first, let’s look at the meaning of the number 13 in soccer.
Numbers in soccer were once used to indicate the starting 11.
So number 1 would be the goalkeeper and number 11 would be the furthest player down the pitch.
But these rules evolved, and the players got the numbers based on the squad rather than starting 11.
The numbering system in soccer also varies from region to region.
For example, in Spain, goalkeepers must wear either 1, 13 or 25. That’s why great goalkeepers like Courtois and Jan Oblak are on this list.
The number 13 is also seen as bad luck in some countries like England. Thus, English teams could skip the number 13 when numbering their squad.
And that’s also the reason why I couldn’t find any top English player who wore the number 13 jersey.
On this list, you’ll find icons like:
- Michael Ballack
- Alessandro Nesta
- Ji-Sung Park
- Alex Morgan
- And many more!
So let’s get straight into it!
Criteria for Selection in this List
Before starting, let’s look at the criteria for the list.
Players must tick these criteria while wearing the number 13 jersey to be included in the list.
- Consistent level of excellence
- Influence on Position
- Association with Game-Changing Moments
- Legacy and Recognition
- Contribution to Team Success
- Recognition by Peers and Experts
- Cultural Impact
Despite thorough research, I could miss a few important number 13 soccer players.
So, let me know if I’ve missed any of your favorites in the comments.
Best Soccer Players Who Have Worn The Number 13 Jersey
1. Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack wore the number 13 for:
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Bayern Munich
- Chelsea FC
- Germany
Michael Ballack wore the number 13 for every team he played except FC Kaiserslautern.
He was known for his powerful shots, long passes, and commanding presence on the pitch.
Ballack joined Bayer Leverkusen in 1999. Here, he was given the number 13 and a more attacking role in the midfield.
Ballack had a great time at Leverkusen. But it wasn’t all rosy for the team.
In the 2001-02 season, Bayer Leverkusen gave up a 5-point lead at the top of the table to let Borussia Dortmund win the league.
That same year, they also lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid and lost the DFB-Pokal final to Schalke.
At the end of the season, Ballack moved to Bayern Munich and wore the number 13 there as well.
He won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in all three years he played there.
But his relations soured with the Bayern board in 2006 and he left the club for Chelsea.
Arriving at Chelsea, Ballack took the number 13 jersey from William Gallas, who was given the number 3.
Ballack played at Chelsea until 2010. With the club, he won a Premier League, three FA Cups, and a Football League Cup.
After leaving Chelsea, Ballack returned to Bayer Leverkusen for 2 years before retiring in 2012.
Ballack wore the number 13 for Germany too.
He played a big part in the team for the Euros and World Cups from 2002 to 2008.
Ballack scored vital goals in the 2002 World Cup to help Germany reach the final.
Unfortunately, he was suspended for the final and Germany would go on to lose that game to Brazil.
Major Accolades
- Named as one of FIFA’s 100 Greatest Living Players.
- Awarded the UEFA Midfielder of the Year in 2002.
- Ballack won the German Footballer of the Year three times – in 2002, 2003, and 2005.
- With Bayern Munich, he won three Bundesliga titles and three DFB-Pokal Cups.
- At Chelsea, Ballack won a Premier League in 2009-10, three FA Cups, a Football League Cup, and a Charity Shield.
2. Gerd Muller
Gerd Müller wore the number 13 jersey for:
- Germany
Gerd Müller is one of the greatest goalscorers in soccer history. He also got the nickname “Der Bomber” due to his goalscoring instincts.
Müller is one of the only nine players in soccer history to win the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or.
Muller made his Germany debut in 1966 and went on to score 68 goals for the team.
He was Germany’s all-time top scorer for over four decades until Miroslav Klose took over in 2014.
Muller also scored the winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final against the Netherlands.
But did you know that Muller played 62 games for Germany?
Yes, he achieved all these records in just 62 games!
He took an early retirement from the team in 1974 after an argument with the German FA. The argument was about the FA not allowing players’ wives to attend the World Cup celebrations.
Major Accolades
- In 1999, Müller ranked ninth in the European Player of the Century list. He also ranked 13th in the IFFHS World Player of the Century.
- Müller won the Ballon d’Or in 1970 and was the runner-up in 1972.
- He won the 1974 FIFA World Cup and the 1972 UEFA European Championship with West Germany.
- He’s 25th in the list of all-time top goalscorers in soccer history.
3. Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta wore the number 13 jersey for:
- SS Lazio
- AC Milan
- Italy
Alessandro Nesta is one of the greatest defenders of all time. He played the majority of his career at Lazio and Milan as a center-back.
Nesta had it all!
He was an imposing and physical defender. Yet, he was quick and agile with his feet, allowing him to play the ball from the back.
Nesta started his career at Lazio in 1993 as a right-back but was soon moved to the center-back position.
By 1997 he became Lazio’s club captain.
In the 1998-99 season, Lazio won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and European Super Cup under the captaincy of Nesta.
Lazio then won the Serie A title and Coppa Italia double in the next season.
Unfortunately, Lazio had to sell Nesta to AC Milan in 2002 due to financial difficulties.
At AC Milan, Nesta took the number 13 shirt again.
Here he became a part of a legendary defense. It included players like Paolo Maldini, Cafu, Alessandro Costacurta, and Jaap Stam.
During his first season at Milan, Nesta won the UEFA Champions League and Coppa Italia. He also won the Serie A Defender of the Year award for the fourth time.
Nesta went on to have a successful 10-year spell at Milan, winning several trophies and individual honors along the way.
Alessandro Nesta was also an important part of the Italy national team from 1996 to 2006. He played wearing the number 13 shirt in the 2006 World Cup, which Italy won.
Major Accolades
- Won Serie A Defender of the Year four times and was part of the FIFPro World XI team in 2005 and 2007.
- Inducted into the Italian and AC Milan Hall of Fame.
- Nesta won six trophies with Lazio including a Serie A title, two Coppa Italias, and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
- With AC Milan, Nesta won 10 trophies including a couple of Serie A titles, and UEFA Champions League.
- He was also a FIFA World Cup winner with Italy in 2006.
4. Maicon
Maicon wore the number 13 shirt for:
- AS Monaco
- Inter Milan
- AS Roma
- Avaí FC
- Sona Calcio
- SP Tre Penne
- Brazil
Maicon could help his team both on the offense and defense as a full-back.
His crossing ability and powerful shots made him a threat on the overlap down the right wing.
After a successful early career in Brazil, Maicon came to Europe to play for Monaco in 2004.
At Monaco, he wore the number 13 shirt which became his preferred number for the rest of his career.
In 2006 Maicon moved to Italian giants Inter Milan during the prime of his career.
He was again given the number 13.
During his time at Inter, Maicon became known for his runs from the right-back position.
He replaced Inter captain Javier Zanetti in the right-back position, and Zanetti was moved to the midfield.
The 2009-10 season was the pinnacle of Maicon’s career.
He won the treble (Serie A, Coppa Italia, and UEFA Champions League) with Inter.
Maicon won the 2009–10 UEFA Club Defender of the Year. He was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or for his performances.
Embed from Getty ImagesMaicon left Inter in 2012 and ended his career in a string of clubs. These clubs included Manchester City, AS Roma, Avaí, Sona, and Tre Penne.
His international career with Brazil was also a successful one.
He was the first-choice right-back for Brazil.
With the team, he won the Copa América twice (2004 and 2007) and the FIFA Confederations Cup twice (2005 and 2009).
Major Accolades
- Maicon won four Serie A titles, one UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup, with Inter Milan.
- With Brazil, Maicon won two Copa América trophies and two FIFA Confederations Cups.
- He won UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2010 and was also a part of the FIFA FIFPro World XI team.
5. Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois has worn the number 13 for:
- KRC Genk
- Atlético de Madrid
- Chelsea FC
- Real Madrid
Thibaut Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers of this generation. Standing tall at 2.00 meters (6 ft 7 in), he commands his penalty area like no one else.
Courtois started his career at the Belgian club Genk as the second-choice goalkeeper. This meant he wore the number 13 jersey.
He made his first team debut for Genk in 2009 at just 16 years of age.
By 2010, Courtois was the first-choice keeper and helped Genk win the Belgian Pro League. He also won Belgian Goalkeeper of the Year and Genk’s Player of the Year award that season.
Courtois joined Chelsea in 2011 and was immediately sent out on loan to Atletico Madrid.
His impact was immediate, as Courtois replaced Atletico’s first-choice keeper in the first few months.
He won the La Liga title with Atletico in 2013-14.
In 2014, Courtois’ parent club, Chelsea, recalled him to play for them.
He again wore the number 13 shirt but was made the first-choice keeper ahead of Petr Cech.
After two years of transfer rumors, Thibaut Courtois left Chelsea to join Real Madrid in 2018.
At Madrid, he chose to wear the number 13 for the first few years before taking the number 1 shirt.
He has gone on to achieve great things with Real Madrid, winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League.
Major Accolades
- Won the Belgian Pro League in 2010-11 with Genk.
- Won a La Liga, a Copa Del Rey, a UEFA Europa League, and a UEFA Super Cup with Atletico Madrid.
- At Chelsea, he won two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup, and a Football League Cup.
- With Real Madrid, Courtois has won
- two La Liga titles,
- one Copa del Rey,
- two Supercopa de España trophies,
- one UEFA Champions League,
- one UEFA Super Cup, and
- one FIFA Club World Cup.
- He won the Belgian Professional Goalkeeper of the Year in 2011, and La Liga Goalkeeper of the Season in 2013.
- He has also won The Best FIFA Goalkeeper in 2018 and the Yashin Trophy in 2022.
- Named in FIFA FIFPRO World 11 team in 2022.
6. Ji-Sung Park
Ji-Sung Park wore the number 13 shirt for:
- Manchester United
Ji-Sung Park was a crucial part of Manchester United’s team from 2005 to 2012.
Due to his endurance and stamina, Park earned the nickname “Three-Lung Park”.
Park is one of the most successful Asian players in soccer history, winning 19 trophies in his career.
He was also the first Asian to win the UEFA Champions League back in 2008.
United signed Ji-Sung Park in 2005 from PSV and gave him the number 13 shirt.
Park had such a good rapport with PSV fans that they wrote a song about him entitled “Song for Park“. The song is a part of the official PSV album PSV Kampioen.
In a 2020 interview, Wayne Rooney said that Park was as important to the United side of 2006-2009 as Ronaldo, Tevez, or himself.
Park is known for his performances in big games for United.
Sir Alex Ferguson often used him in crucial games with an extra emphasis on defensive work.
But Park wasn’t only crucial in the midfield for making tackles and interceptions. He also contributed heavily through his important goals.
Major Accolades
- With Manchester United, Park won
- four Premier League titles,
- three Football League Cups,
- two FA Community Shields,
- one UEFA Champions League, and
- one FIFA Club World Cup.
- He won the Korean FA Player of the Year in 2010 and was a part of the AFC Asian Cup All-time Dream XI.
7. Jan Oblak
Jan Oblak wears the number 13 jersey for:
- Atletico Madrid
Jan Oblak is one of the best goalkeepers in the world right now. He’s the definition of a modern goalkeeper.
Along with his amazing shot-stopping, Oblak is great at reading the game and coming off his line as a sweeper.
He started his career at Olimpija, a Slovenian soccer club.
The first-choice keeper at Olimpija saw Oblak in training and voluntarily gave up his position.
In 2014, Oblak moved to Atletico Madrid and got the number 13 shirt. The second-choice keeper wears the number 13 at Atletico.
By 2015, Oblak became the first-choice goalkeeper but he chose to keep wearing the number 13 shirt.
Since his arrival, Oblak has been one of the most important players in the Atletico Madrid squad.
He has helped the team win four trophies, including the La Liga title in the 2020-21 season.
Oblak also holds the record for most clean sheets and most appearances by a goalkeeper at Atletico Madrid.
He is also the only goalkeeper who has won the La Liga Zamora Trophy five times.
Major Accolades
- With Atletico Madrid, he won
- the La Liga title in 2020-21,
- Supercopa de España in 2014,
- UEFA Europa League in 2017-18, and
- UEFA Super Cup in 2018.
- Oblak has won the the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for best goalkeeper for a record five times.
- Oblak was also nominated for Ballon d’Or twice in 2017 and 2018.
8. Aleksandar Kolarov
Aleksandar Kolarov wore the number 13 shirt for:
- Manchester City
Aleksandar Kolarov was a gifted left-back.
He was famous for his overlapping runs, crossing, and deadly free kicks.
Kolarov signed for Manchester City from Lazio in 2010 and chose to wear the number 13 shirt.
He had a successful first season at City, winning the FA Cup against Stoke City.
In 2011, Gael Clichy arrived at City. So Kolarov now had competition for the left-back position.
After that, Kolarov only made cameos for the team. He also became a cult icon for scoring important goals from free kicks.
Kolarov played a huge role in helping Manchester City win their first league title.
He again played an important role in their second Premier League title win in the 2013-14 season. This time he was the first-choice left-back.
Major Accolades
- Won the Serbian Player of the Year award in 2011.
- With Manchester City, Kolarov won
- two Premier League titles,
- one FA Cup,
- two Football League Cups, and
- one FA Community Shield.
9. Mark Iuliano
Mark Iuliano wore the number 13 jersey for:
- Juventus FC
Iuliano was a large and strong center-back for Juventus. He was one of the best and most consistent Italian defenders of his generation.
Iuliano moved to Juventus from Salernitana in 1996. And he was a big hit right from the start.
In his first season at Juventus, Iuliano played in 21 games and won the Serie A title.
His second season brought another Serie A title.
But this time, he was a part of one of the most infamous incidents in the league.
With few games left in the season, Juventus and Inter were fighting for the title. They had a game against each other towards the end of the season.
During the game, there was a collision between Iuliano and Ronaldo. A lot of fans and experts still think that moment won the title for Juventus.
Inter players demanded a penalty for the foul on Ronaldo. But the referee didn’t comply.
Juventus went on to win the game and 2 days later, the title.
Iuliano played at Juventus for 9 years from 1996 to 2005.
During his time there, he made over 200 appearances and won many titles including Serie A and UEFA Super Cup.
Major Accolades
- At Juventus, Iuliano won
- four Serie A titles,
- three Supercoppa Italianas,
- a UEFA Super Cup,
- an Intercontinental Cup, and
- a UEFA Intertoto Cup.
10. William Gallas
William Gallas wore the number 13 for:
- Chelsea FC
- Tottenham Hotspur
William Gallas is as famous for his on-pitch brilliance as he is for his off-pitch controversies.
He started his career in 1995 at the French side Caen as a center-back. From there he moved to Marseille, where he played for four years.
In 2001, Chelsea bought Gallas for £6.2 million.
At Chelsea, he chose to wear the number 13 shirt because it was his postcode back where he lived in Marseille.
Soon after his arrival, Gallas formed a center-back partnership with Marcel Desailly and later with John Terry.
He was a crucial part of the Chelsea squad under Jose Mourinho. They won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.
But it didn’t remain rosy at Stamford Bridge for long.
Gallas became frustrated when he had to play in the full-back position because of an injury to Wayne Bridge.
Then in 2006, he put in a transfer request and expressed a wish to play in the Italian Serie A.
Chelsea refused the request due to which Gallas did not turn up at Chelsea’s pre-season tour.
To punish him, Mourinho took away his number 13 shirt and gave it to the new signing Michael Ballack.
But that wasn’t enough. Chelsea sold Gallas to Arsenal in September 2006 as a a part of deal that brought Ashley Cole to Chelsea.
Chelsea also issued a statement that Gallas had threatened to score own goals if he wasn’t allowed to leave. Gallas later denied the claim.
After 4 years at Arsenal, Gallas moved to their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
He also became the first player to play for the three London clubs (Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham).
Major Accolades
- At Chelsea, Gallas won
- two Premier League titles,
- one Football League Cup, and
- one FA Community Shield with Chelsea.
- Gallas was a part of the PFA Team of the Year twice. In 2002-03 and 2005-06 season.
11. Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan has worn the number 13 for:
- Western New York Flash
- Portland Thorns FC
- Orlando Pride
- San Diego Waves
- United States
Alex Morgan is one of the most recognizable faces in women’s soccer. She plays as a striker while wearing the number 13 shirt.
Morgan went through the youth program at AYSO and started her career at Western New York Flash in 2011.
In 2012, she won the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year for finishing the season with 28 goals and 21 assists.
Then in 2013, Morgan joined Portland Thorns FC for the first season of NWSL.
With her help, Portland Thorns won the league title that year.
After a year at Orlando Pride in 2015, Morgan joined Lyon in France.
At Lyon, she won the continental European treble. This included the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Division 1 Féminine, and Coupe de France Féminine.
Morgan also helped the United States women’s team win the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups.
Major Accolades
- Time’s magazine named Alex Morgan as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2019 and 2022.
- She has won the FIFA Women’s World Cup twice, and an Olympic Goal Medal in 2012 with the United States.
- She won the inaugural NWSL title with Portland Thorns FC.
- In her single season at Lyon, Morgan won the European treble which included
- Division 1 Féminine,
- Coupe de France Féminine, and
- UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Thank You For Reading
So I hope you this list of the best soccer players who have worn the number 13 jersey. If you did, then do consider sharing it with fellow soccer enthusiasts.
Your support and sharing of this content can help us reach a wider audience. It can also provide valuable information to more people who share our passion for the beautiful game.
I’d also like to hear what you have to say…
Do you agree with my list?
Are there any soccer legends with the number 13 jersey that I’ve missed?
Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below right now!
And thank you for supporting Soccer Mavericks!
Read about the best players who have worn other jersey numbers:
- Best Soccer Players Who Wore the Number 12
- Top 17 Soccer Players Who Wear The Number 17 Jersey
- Best Soccer Players Who Wore The Number 5 Jersey
- Best Soccer Players Who Wear Number 4
- The Best Soccer Players Who Have Worn Number 3 Jersey
- Best Soccer Players With The Number 2 Jersey
- Greatest Number 11 Players in Soccer
