Christian Pulisic wears the number 10 for Chelsea and will wear it for the USMNT in the FIFA World Cup. Pulisic is not unfamiliar with the responsibility, he has been wearing the iconic number made famous by Diego Maradona for well over two years for the United States.
Pulisic at his young age is already one of the top goals scorers in USMNT history and will be playing in his first World Cup after missing out in 2018. The USMNT will take with them a young squad looking to make a big splash.
When the US Soccer Federation announced how the numbers will stack up for the 2022 World Cup, many new fans asked who were the past number 10’s of the USMNT in other World Cups? Here is a review of each number 10 from 1990 until now.
Peter Vermes - 1990
The now Sporting KC manager was the first number 10 for the USMNT in 40 years when the US made it to Italy 90. While the USMNT went 0-3, the team improved as the matches went on and Vermes was one of the better players on the inexperienced squad.
Roy Wegerle - 1994
One of the most uninfluential players in USMNT history. Roy Wegerle was born in South Africa, played in England, and only had 7 goals in 41 games for the USMNT. Wegerle was underwhelming in a USA 94 squad that made heroes out of the participants. The USMNT made it to the round of 16.
Tab Ramos- 1998
Coming off of an ACL injury, Tab Ramos was one of the better players on a poor US side that went 0-3 at France 98. Ramos had a cameo appearance against Germany but played a good match against Iran. Ramos is still to this day one of the most skillful players the USMNT ever had.
Claudio Reyna - 2002
Rejuvenated and ready to prove a point, Reyna and the USMNT came back strong in 2002. Reyna was one of the best players in the competition and the USMNT made it to their best finish in the modern era with a quarterfinals run. Wins over Portugal and Mexico and an honorable defeat to Germany, Reyna was named as one of the best players of the tournament and that US performance possibly saved MLS from folding.
Claudio Reyna - 2006
Reyna would come into 2006 extremely battle scared and not at his best, still Reyna had a decent tournament until he was removed from the match against Ghana with an injury. The USMNT would go into Germany 2006 ranked 4th in the world and were eliminated in the first round.
Landon Donovan - 2010
The best number 10 performance of a US player in the modern era, Donovan played his heart out in South Africa 2010. Landon scored 3 goals all big ones, against Slovenia, Algeria, and against Ghana. Despite playing a hard-fought game against Ghana in the round of 16 the USMNT was eliminated in extra time.
Mikkel Diskerud - 2014
While the USMNT made it to the round of 16 in Brazil 2014, not much made sense when the USMNT was managed by Jürgen Klinsmann. Landon Donovan was inexplicably left off the of World Cup squad so Mikkel Diskerud could wear the number 10 and play a total of 0 minutes.
