Christian Pulisic and the History of the USMNT’s No. 10 Jersey

The Stars and Stripes’ key player will become just the second individual to wear the famed jersey at two World Cups.

Christian Pulisic headlines the USMNT 2026 World Cup roster. | Adam Hunger/Getty Images

There are few jerseys in soccer that come with as much weight as the No. 10.

Worn by the likes of Pelé, Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, it has become synonymous with some of the craftiest soccer players the game has ever seen. This summer, the U.S. men’s national team’s edition belongs to Christian Pulisic. 

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder has worn several numbers through his time with the Stars and Stripes. He made his debut with the No. 17 in 2016, then switched to No. 11 before finally landing on the No. 10. 

By wearing it this summer, there will be extra eyes on him. It’s a pressure he seems to embrace, especially after scoring a goal and assist in the first pre-World Cup friendly against Senegal—silencing the judgment he had faced for not scoring for the national team since 2024 and for struggling with AC Milan in the second half of the 2025–26 European season.

While he won’t be the captain—that honor falls to veteran center back Tim Ream—the man dubbed “Captain America,” will still carry the weight of the shirt when he leads the USMNT into its second World Cup on home soil. 

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How Long Pulisic Has Worn the No. 10

Christian Pulisic (right) began wearing the USMNT’s No. 10 in the failed effort to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. | Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Pulisic first wore the No. 10 on a U.S. jersey back in 2015, the star of the U17 side. Yet, he only began to wear the number on the senior international stage in 2016, after beginning his national team career with the No. 17 and No. 11.

While the jersey has primarily belonged to him as the cornerstone of the USMNT, others have worn it since as well, notably when he is not on the roster for select friendlies and competitions. During that time, Diego Luna, Alex Zendejas, Cristian Roldan and Jesus Ferreira have all sported the iconic shirt in Pulisic’s absence. 

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Who Had the USMNT No. 10 Before Pulisic?

Landon Donovan famously wore the No. 10 kit at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. | Jeff Mitchell/FIFA/Getty Images

Prior to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when Pulisic wore the No.10, Mix Diskerud was the last to don the jersey at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. Landon Donovan wore the number on the back of his shirt at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, whileClaudio Reyna, the father of current USMNT star Gio Reyna, sported it twice in 2002 and 2006. Tab Ramos wore it at the 1998 World Cup in France. 

Pulisic will be the second USMNT player to wear it at a home World Cup, joining 1994’s Roy Wegerle, who finished his international career in 1998 having scored seven goals in 41 international matches. 

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Who First Wore the USMNT’s No. 10?

The USMNT’s first recorded No. 10 at an international tournament came at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, when Italy won the gold medal. | ullstein bild/ullstein bild/Getty Images

The recorded history of the USMNT No. 10 shirt dates back 90 years to Bill Fiedler, who wore it in just a single game on the international stage. His lone appearance came in a 1–0 loss to Italy at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where the U.S. team was under massive scrutiny, as the rise of Nazi Germany defined those Olympics. 

That match went down as a farcical opening game of the Olympics, as the Italians, with a completely different side than the one that won the 1934 World Cup, bullied their way through. Defender Achille Piccini violently challenged Fiedler and a teammate so severely that they had to leave the match, but the Italian players surrounded the referee, pushing him to dish out punishments to the U.S., instead of sending off any of the Italians.   

Fiedler, a native of Philadelphia and a former star with the Philadelphia German-Americans of the defunct American Professional Soccer League, would play for a few more years before retiring in 1940. Yet, that day set the stage for Pulisic, who will become the latest Pennsylvanian to wear the marquee shirt on the big stage this summer.

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Every Player Assigned the No. 10 for USMNT

*List only includes players specifically assigned the No. 10 shirt

Player	Season first worn
Diego Luna	2024–25
Álex Zendejas	2023–24
Cristian Roldán	2019–20
Jesús Ferreira	2019–20
Christian Pulisic	2018–19
Darlington Nagbe	2015–16
Danny Williams	2015–16
Max Diskerud	2013–14
Francisco Torres	2011–12
Joe Corona	2011–12
Stuart Holden	2008–09
Sacha Kljestan	2008–09
Charlie Davies	2006–07
Kyle Martino	2004–05
Brian McBride	2004–05
Landon Donovan	2002–03
Brian Maisonneuve	2001–02
Claudio Reyna	1999–00
Jovan Kirovski	1998–99
Tab Ramos	1996–97
Roy Lassiter	1996–97
David Wagner	1996–97
Mike Sorber	1994–95
Roy Wegerle	1993–94
Peter Vermes	1989–90
Bill Fiedler	1935–36

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