In football, jersey number thirteen is reserved for the second-choice Goalkeepers, and that’s why it’s not a surprise that it’s one of the least present numbers seen behind shirts during games.
In previous years we have seen German midfielder Micheal Ballack, Italian defender Alessandro Nesta, Aleksandar Kolarov, and Adil Rami are some of the previous football players who wore the number 13.
However, it would be interesting to find out which players have the number 13 shirt and profile them. So, here are the popular football players who wear the number 13 jersey.
1. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich)
Probably the most prominent number 13 in world football at the moment (but the most prominent is number ten, keep reading).
Cameroonian forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting will be their primary source of goals at the World Cup, as he is one of the best football players in Cameroon at the moment.
He’s not the number-one choice for the Bavarians, but he’s scored a couple of times this season. He has six goals and two assists in ten Bundesliga games this season.
Choupo-Moting has been a journeyman all his career, playing for Schalke 04, Stoke City, and PSG, to mention a few.
2. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
Slovenian Goalkeeper Jan Oblak is an outstanding talent between the sticks. He became number one, replacing Thibaut Courtois, becoming the most expensive goalkeeper in La Liga at that time.
He has over 350 appearances for Atlético Madrid, four trophies, and has been named in the Ballon D’or shortlist a couple of times.
Jan Oblak is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and one of the best soccer players who wear the number 13 jersey for their club.
3. Adrian (Liverpool)
Liverpool’s second-choice goalkeeper, Adrian, owns the number 13 shirt and keeps it during the Cup ties and when Brazilian shot-stopper Alisson is unavailability.
The 35-year-old Spanish goalkeeper has been with West Ham and Real Betis before moving to Liverpool.
Although, Adrian is not one of the best backup goalkeepers in the world, his manages to hold his own whenever called up for Liverpool.
4. Marcus Bettinelli (Chelsea)
Marcus Bettinelli is one of the least prominent players in the World and the Premier League, and it’s certainly, a lot of Chelsea fans have not heard of him.
The English goalkeeper is 31-year-old has never played for the English national team, but he’s featured for the U21s.
He left Fulham for Chelsea in 2021 after 11 seasons and several loan deals.
5. Yassine Bono (Sevilla)
Yassine Bounou, popularly known as Bono, is a Moroccan goalkeeper who plays for Sevilla and the Moroccan National Team.
The 31-year-old was born in Canada and played for Wydad Casablanca at some point while also featuring for Atletico Madrid B and Girona before joining Sevilla.
Yassine Bono has consistently been one of the top goalkeepers in the Spanish La Liga.
6. Neto (Bournemouth)
Neto was the second-choice goalkeeper at Camp Nou with FC Barcelona until last season.
The Brazilian goalkeeper deputized for German keeper Marc Andre Ter-Stegen in Spain but moved to Bournemouth in the Premier League for free in the summer.
The 33-year-old has been across Europe from Fiorentina, Juventus, Valencia, and Barcelona. Before the World Cup break, he made eight appearances for the Cherries but didn’t make Brazil’s team to the world cup.
7. Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid)
Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin enjoyed a string of appearances with Real Madrid when Thibaut Courtois got injured earlier this season.
The 23-year-old played for Dnipro and Zorya Lugansk before joining the Los Blancos in 2018, although he went on loan to several La Liga teams.
He won the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup with the Ukrainian U20 national team and has only eight appearances with Real Madrid. However, he also has the La Liga, UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa winners medals.
8. Alessio Romagnoli (Lazio)
Romagnoli is a 27-year-old defender for Lazio in the Serie A, although he was with AC Milan last season.
The Italian loves the number 13, as he donned the number 13 shirt for both AC Milan and Lazio.
He made 197 appearances for the AC Milan side between 2015 and 2022, while he played for the Italian national side twelve sides between 2016 and 2019.
Romagnoli is a combative, aggressive, and hard-tackling center-back, making him one of the best defenders in the Italian Serie A.
9. Raphaël Guerreiro (Dortmund)
Portuguese defender Raphaël Guerreiro wears the number 13 shirt at Borussia Dortmund and has been with the Portugal national team since 2014 making 57 appearances and winning the UEFA Euro Championship in 2016.
He is one of the few outfield footballers who wear the number 13 jersey.
Raphaël Guerreiro is also regarded as one of the best left-backs in the world at the moment.
He also won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 with the Portuguese national team.
His time at the Signal Iduna park started in 2016 with a move from the French side Lorient to the German club side.
10. Dani Alves (Brazil)
Dani Alves is an absolute football legend considering his legacy as the most decorated player in football.
His days at Barcelona still remain the most productive, but he’s also a legend at the national team level with Brazil.
He will be attending another World Cup in Qatar at the age of 39 as one of the oldest players at the 2022 World Cup while hoping to win the only elusive trophy in his cabinet.
11. Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce)
Ecuador’s all-time highest goal scorer, Enner Valencia is one football player who loves wearing the number 13 jersey.
He is one one of the few attacking soccer players wearing number 13 for both club and country.
The 33-year-old strike wears the number 13 for the Ecuadorian national and his club Fenerbahce.
