Who wore number 8 in football?

The No.8 isn’t as iconic or flashy as the seven, nine or 10, but there is a weight to it all the same. The jersey tends to be worn by goalscoring midfield players who balance the ability to regularly hit the back of the net while also providing assists and chances for their team-mates.

The No.8 is also meant for box-to-box midfielders, those who are capable of linking up play and shifting the tone of the game from defence to attack.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, remembered as one of the greatest English attacking midfielders, is a classic example of the No.8 player. Frank Lampard, who had a similar role at Chelsea, is another famous one, along with the likes of ex-Barcelona and Spain talisman Andres Iniesta and Kaka during his time at Real Madrid.

Hristo Stoichkov

Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov is a Bulgarian former professional footballer who is also known as a football commentator for TUDN. A prolific forward, he is regarded as one of the best players of his generation and is widely considered the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. He was runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1992 and 1994, and received the Ballon d’Or in 1994. In 2004, Stoichkov was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players.

At club level, Stoichkov spent six years at CSKA Sofia and became the top goalscorer in Europe in 1990, receiving the European Golden Shoe. In 1990, he joined Barcelona where he earned the Spanish nickname “El Pistolero” (“The Gunslinger”), and was part of Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team” that won four consecutive La Liga titles and the 1992 European Cup. During his time at the club, he formed a prolific strike partnership with Romário. Cruyff was largely instrumental in bringing him to Barcelona where he quickly developed into one of the most prolific forwards in the world.

Stoichkov was a member of the Bulgaria national team that finished fourth at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, of which he was the top scorer with six goals and received the World Cup Golden Boot. He was ranked the third best player at the World Cup, after Romário and Roberto Baggio, and received the World Cup Bronze Ball. Apart from his footballing talent, he was notable for his on-pitch temper. In his playing career he was also nicknamed The Dagger (Камата).

Andres Iniesta

Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish professional footballer known as a central midfielder and captain of J1 League club Vissel Kobe. Often considered one of the best midfielders of all time, Iniesta spent most of his career at Barcelona, where he served as the captain for three seasons.

Iniesta came through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, after an early migration from his birthplace, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002. He began playing regularly during the 2004–05 season and remained in the team until 2018. Iniesta was an integral part of the Barcelona sides that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015, and his 35 trophies, which include nine La Ligas and four UEFA Champions League titles, make him one of the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time. After twenty-two years at Barcelona, Iniesta signed for Japanese club Vissel Kobe in 2018.

Iniesta played for Spain at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels before making his international debut in 2006. He helped Spain win UEFA Euro 2008, playing every game and being selected in the Team of the Tournament. Iniesta was also a key member of the victorious Spanish team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands, for which he was named the Man of the Match, and was selected to the tournament’s All-Star Team. At UEFA Euro 2012, Iniesta led Spain to their second consecutive continental crown, again being chosen as the Man of the Match of the final against Italy, and was named the Player of the Tournament.

Iniesta has been named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI multiple times and was chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year on many occasions. He was named in the All-time UEFA Euro XI. He won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2012 and was named the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker in 2012 and 2013. Iniesta was runner-up to Lionel Messi for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d’Or and achieved third place in 2012.

Steven Gerrard

Steven George Gerrard MBE is known as a former player and English professional football manager of Scottish Premiership club Rangers.

Born in Whiston, Merseyside, Gerrard spent the majority of his playing career as a central midfielder for Liverpool and the England national team, captaining both. He made his competitive debut for Liverpool in 1998. In 2000–01, he helped the club secure an unpredicted treble of cups and was made captain in 2003. In 2005, Gerrard led Liverpool to its fifth European title, being named Man of the Match as Liverpool came from 3–0 down to defeat Milan in the game that went on to become known as the Miracle of Istanbul. The following year, he was named Man of the Match in the 2006 FA Cup Final, which has since been called The Gerrard Final. Both matches are regarded as being amongst the greatest finals of each competition.

In his 17 seasons at Anfield, Gerrard won two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of the greatest players of his generation, Gerrard was the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and won the Ballon d’Or Bronze Award in 2005. A versatile and well-rounded player, highly regarded for his leadership, Gerrard is the first footballer to score in an FA Cup Final, a League Cup Final, a UEFA Cup Final, and a UEFA Champions League Final, winning on each occasion. On 20 May 2021, Gerrard was officially inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

At international level, Gerrard is one of the most capped England’s players with 114 caps, scoring 21 goals. He debuted for England in 2000 and went on to play at the UEFA European Championship in 2000, 2004 and 2012 and the FIFA World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014. He was named as the permanent England captain shortly before UEFA Euro 2012, where he was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. Gerrard won his 100th cap in 2012, becoming only the sixth player to reach that milestone for England. He announced his retirement from international football in 2014. After retiring as a player, Gerrard became a coach in the Liverpool Youth Academy and managed the under-18 team over the 2017–18 season. In 2018, he was appointed as manager of Scottish Premiership club Rangers, leading the club to its first league title in 10 years in the 2020–21 season.

Frank Lampard

Frank James Lampard OBE is an English professional football manager and former player who was the head coach of Premier League club Chelsea from July 2019 until January 2021. He is widely considered to be one of Chelsea’s greatest ever players, and one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. He is one of the top-scoring midfielders in the Premier league scoring 41 goals from outside the box. In addition he was statistically named the Premier League Player of the Decade from 2000 to 2010.

A creative and technically gifted box-to-box midfielder, Lampard began his career in 1995 at West Ham United, the club where his father, Frank Lampard Sr., also played. He is best known for his time at London rivals Chelsea, whom he signed for in 2001 for £11 million. In his thirteen years with the club, Lampard established himself as a prolific scorer from midfield, becoming Chelsea’s leading goalscorer, with 211 goals scored in all competitions. Lampard won three Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, four FA Cups, and two Football League Cups. In 2005, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year, and finished runner-up for both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. After leaving Chelsea, Lampard played for league rivals Manchester City and Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York City before retiring in 2017.

Lampard is one of the few players to have scored 150 or more goals in the Premier League. He is one of the leads in the Premier League’s all-time assists ranking, with 102 assists. Lampard holds a number of additional Chelsea and Premier League records, and has won PFA Fans’ Player of the Year and the FWA Tribute Award. During his career, he was named in the PFA Team of the Year three times, Premier League Player of the Month 4 times, Premier League Player of the Season once and finished as the Premier League’s top assist provider three times, and was named in the FIFPro World XI and a MLS All-Star. After departing, Lampard was named in the Chelsea Team of the Decade as voted for by Chelsea fans, and into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Lampard played 106 matches for the England national team, after making his debut in 1999. He represented his country at three FIFA World Cups – in 2006, 2010 and 2014 – and in UEFA Euro 2004, where he was named in the Team of the Tournament. Lampard scored 29 goals for England, and was voted England Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005. He is also England’s top prolific penalty taker, with nine goals scored from the spot. After retiring from international football, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2015 for his services to football. After retiring, Lampard served as a team captain on the ITV sport panel show Play to the Whistle from 2015 until 2017. He has also written a number of children’s books. Lampard began his coaching career with Derby County in 2018, leading the club to the final of that season’s Championship play-offs. He was appointed as Chelsea’s head coach a year later, guiding them to 4th place and the FA Cup Final in his first season. However, after a poor run of results, Lampard was dismissed in 2021.

Fritz Walter

Friedrich “Fritz” Walter was a German footballer who spent his entire senior career at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He usually played as an attacking midfielder or inside forward. In his time with the German national team, he appeared in 61 games and scored 33 goals, and was captain of the team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup.

Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos is a German professional footballer who is knowns as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid. Kroos is mainly characterized as a central midfielder, but has also been deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in his career. Known for his vision, passing, creativity, crossing and set-piece ability, Kroos is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation.

Kroos began his senior club career playing for Bayern Munich, where he made his debut at age 17 in 2007. He was sparingly used, and opted for an 18-month loan spell at fellow Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, where he became a key contributor, and returned to his parent club with an increased profile in 2010. With Bayern, Kroos won two consecutive league titles, a UEFA Champions League title, two DFB-Pokal titles, and was voted into the league team of the season three times. In 2014, he joined Real Madrid in a transfer worth €25 million.

In Madrid, Kroos won multiple trophies, including La Liga titles and UEFA Champions League titles, which he won consecutively from 2016 and 2018, each time being selected in the competition’s team of the season. He has been selected in the FIFPro World11 and UEFA Team of the Year, and the league’s team of the season. He was voted the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker in 2014 and German Footballer of the Year in 2018.

Kroos won Golden Player at the 2006 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, where he also finished as top goalscorer, and won the Golden Ball at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He made his senior debut for Germany in 2010, at age 20, and appeared in multiple major tournaments. Kroos helped Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he was top assist provider and voted to the All-Star Team, Dream Team, and German Player of the Year. At UEFA Euro 2016, he was selected to the Team of the Tournament. He announced his international retirement after his team’s elimination from Euro 2020 in 2021.

Socrates

Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, simply known as Sócrates, was a Brazilian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. His medical degree and his political awareness, combined with style and quality of his play, earned him the nickname “Doctor Socrates”.

Easily recognizable for his beard and headband, Sócrates became the “symbol of cool for a whole generation of football supporters”. He is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. In 1983, he was named South American Footballer of the Year. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players.

Socrates played for Brazil for seven years, scoring 22 goals and representing the nation in two World Cups. He captained the team in the 1982 FIFA World Cup; playing in midfield alongside Zico, Falcão, Toninho Cerezo and Éder, considered one of the greatest Brazilian national teams ever. He also appeared in the 1979 and 1983 Copa América. At club level, Sócrates played for Botafogo-SP before joining Corinthians in 1978. He moved to Italy to play for Fiorentina, returning to Brazil in 1985 to end his career.

Carlos Dunga

Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, commonly known as Dunga, is a Brazilian football manager and former professional player who played as a defensive midfielder. Under his captaincy, Brazil won the 1994 FIFA World Cup and he lifted the World Cup trophy. Along with Xavi, he is one of the few men to have played in a World Cup final, an Olympic final, a Confederations Cup final and a continental championship final. He was head coach of Brazil multiple times. In his first spell from 2006 to 2010, he led them to victory in the 2007 Copa América and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and to the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, after which he was dismissed by the Brazilian Football Confederation. He was appointed in 2014 for a second time, but Brazil’s early exit from the Copa América Centenario led to his dismissal in June 2016. He was also head coach of Internacional in 2013.

His nickname is derived from the Portuguese translation of “Dopey”, a dwarf from the Disney version of Snow White, and was given to him by his uncle due to his short height during childhood. It was believed that he would be a short adult and the nickname remained in use even after he grew up and became taller. He is of Italian and German descent.

Martin Ødegaard

Martin Ødegaard is a Norwegian professional footballer who is known as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal and captain of the Norway national team.

Ødegaard made his debut for Strømsgodset Toppfotball in April 2014, nearly becoming the youngest player to feature in Tippeligaen, and became one of its youngest goalscorers in May. After being a regular part of the team in his first season and training with several foreign clubs, Ødegaard was signed by Real Madrid in January 2015. He was registered for their reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, but trained mainly with the first team. In May 2015, he became one of the youngest players to represent Real Madrid. In January 2017, he was loaned to SC Heerenveen for 18 months, then to Vitesse and Real Sociedad for a season each. After a return to Real Madrid at the beginning of the 2020–21 season where he was frequently sidelined with a recurring knee injury and unable to secure a starting position, Ødegaard was loaned to Arsenal during the winter transfer window until the end of the season.

Ødegaard made his international debut against the United Arab Emirates in August 2014, becoming one of the youngest debutants for the senior team at the age of 15 years and 253 days. In October 2014, he became one of the youngest players to feature in a qualifying match for the UEFA European Championship.

Juan Mata

Juan Manuel Mata García is a Spanish professional footballer known as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the Spain national team. He is mostly characterized as a central attacking midfielder, but he can also play on the wing.

A graduate of Real Madrid’s youth academy, Mata played for Real Madrid Castilla in 2006–07, before joining Valencia in the summer of 2007. He became an integral part of the club’s midfield. In August 2011, Mata signed for English club Chelsea of the Premier League for a fee believed to be in the region of €28 million, and in his debut season, won the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup. The following year, Chelsea won the UEFA Europa League, making Mata and teammate Fernando Torres the first players to hold the Champions League, Europa League, World Cup, and the European Championships simultaneously. After falling out of favour at Chelsea under José Mourinho, Mata was sold to Manchester United in January 2014, for a fee of £37.1 million.

Mata is a Spanish international, having represented Spain at under-16, under-17, under-19, under-20, under-21, Olympic and senior levels. He played for the under-20 side in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In June 2009, Mata played at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, his first senior tournament. On 9 September 2009, Mata scored his first goal for the senior team, against Estonia, securing the nation a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad. In 2011, he went back to playing in the under-21 side, helping Spain win the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in Denmark. He won the Golden Player award and was part of the Team of the Tournament. Mata returned to the senior squad for UEFA Euro 2012 and, after coming on as a substitute, scored Spain’s fourth goal in the final as Spain defeated Italy 4–0 to retain their title as champions of Europe.