PSG take on Marseille in French Cup last 16
On Wednesday night, Paris Saint-Germain took on Marseille in the last 16 of the Coupe de France but the number that caught most fans eyes may have been the no.10. That’s because, in unusual fashion, it was being worn by Lionel Messi, who normally wears no.30 for the Parisian side.
The situation at the State Velodrome may have confused some onlookers, but there was a simple explanation for this surprise number swap.
Messi wears no.10 for PSG
When Lionel Messi arrived in Paris, his favoured no.10 shirt was occupied by Neymar, and it still is. That’s why he has been wearing the no.30 for the French champions.
However, on two occasions, he has changed number and the common denominator is the French cup. The competition rules for said tournament state that the players starting the match must wear numbers one to 11, so usual squad numbers go out the window.
So, Messi wore the no.10 against Nice and did so again in Marseille on Wednesday. On Saturday it will be back to normal and back to no.30 for the Argentine star.
In his many years at Barcelona, Messi may have been most famous with the no.10 on his back, but he also wore two other shirt numbers before making the no.10 his own. When he made his debut in 2004/05, he did so with the no.30.
Two years later, he switched to no.19 as LaLiga Santander rules dictate that first team players must have numbers between one and 25. In 2008/09, Messi took on the no.10, which he also wears for Argentina.
What number did Neymar wear?
With Messi taking the no.10 shirt for French Cup games, that means Neymar has to move from his usual jersey number as well. Against Marseille, he was happy to take the no.11 to let his friend and teammate have the no.10 for the day.
