Who wore number 26 in football?

John Terry chose this number because it meant he got to sit next to #25 Gianfranco Zola. Seriously. Here are other famous players, who wore the number before the Englishman.

John Terry

John George Terry is an English professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea, the England national team and Aston Villa. He was also the assistant head coach at the latter. Regarded as one of the best defenders in the world at his peak, he is considered to be one of the greatest central defenders of his generation, as well as one of the best English and Premier League defenders ever.

Terry was named UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009, PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2005, and was included in the FIFPro World XI for five consecutive seasons, from 2005 to 2009. He was also named in the all-star squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the only English player to make the team.

Terry is one of Chelsea’s most successful captains. During his 19 years with the club, he led them to five Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Champions League title. He is one of the few players to have made over 500 appearances for Chelsea and is also one of the club’s highest scoring defenders. In 2007, he became the first captain to lift the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium in Chelsea’s 1–0 win over Manchester United, and also the first player to score an international goal there, scoring a header in England’s 1–1 draw with Brazil. In his final season at Chelsea in 2017, he became the first ever player to captain a team to the Premier League title on five occasions.

Following his departure from Chelsea, Terry spent one season with Aston Villa in the Championship before retiring, ultimately losing the 2018 Championship play-off final. He returned to Aston Villa a few months later as part of new manager Dean Smith’s management team. The side went on to win the 2019 Championship play-off final to be promoted back to the Premier League. Terry left his role in July 2021.

Folarin Balogun

Folarin Jerry Balogun is a professional footballer who is known as a striker for Arsenal, and a representative of England at youth international level. He was born in the United States. Martin Keown has compared Balogun to Arsenal’s legendary striker, Ian Wright, due to his speed and intelligent movement.

Tom Davies

Thomas Davies is an English professional footballer who is known as a central midfielder for Premier League club Everton. He was former England national under-21 team player. Davies is an academy graduate of Everton and made his first-team debut in April 2016 at the age of 17. Two years later, he became one of the youngest players to captain the side, doing so at the age of 20 years and 60 days.

Andrew Robertson

Andrew Henry Robertson is a Scottish professional footballer who is known as a left-back for Premier League club Liverpool and captain of the Scotland national team. Considered one of the best left-backs in world football, Robertson is known for his crossing, tackling, work-rate, stamina and speed.

Robertson began his senior career with Queen’s Park in 2012 before joining Dundee United a year later. His performance during his first season as a professional led to him being named PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year and also making his international debut. He joined Hull City in July 2014 for a fee of £2.85 million, before joining Liverpool in July 2017 for an undisclosed fee, believed to be an initial £8 million. He appeared in successive UEFA Champions League finals in his first two seasons, losing the first in 2018 but winning the second in 2019. For his performances in the 2018–19 Premier League season, he was named in the PFA Team of the Year. In the same year, he won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. His third season saw him play an integral role as Liverpool won the 2019–20 Premier League.

Robertson made his full international debut for Scotland in May 2014, and was appointed Scotland captain in September 2018. He represented the side at UEFA Euro 2020.

Riyad Mahrez

Riyad Karim Mahrez is a professional footballer who is known as a winger for Premier League club Manchester City and captain of the Algerian national team.

Mahrez began his career as a youth player for French club AAS Sarcelles. He turned professional in 2009 with Quimper, where he played for only one season before moving to Le Havre, spending a total of three years with them, initially playing for their reserve team and then becoming a first-team regular. In January 2014, Mahrez signed for English side Leicester City, helping them win the Championship and promotion to the Premier League at the end of his first season. In the 2015–16 season he was the Algerian Footballer of the Year, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and was a member of the Premier League PFA Team of the Year as he helped Leicester City win the Premier League. He signed for Manchester City in 2018, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup in his first season.

Born in France, Mahrez made his international debut for Algeria in 2014 and represented them at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and at the 2015, 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, winning the African Cup of Nations in 2019. In 2016 he was named CAF’s African Footballer of the Year.

Dean Henderson

Dean Bradley Henderson is an English professional footballer who is known as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team.

Henderson signed his first professional contract with Manchester United in 2015 and extended it in 2018 for a further two years until 2022. He made his debut for Manchester United against Luton Town in the third round of the EFL Cup in 2020. He has also been loaned out to a number of other teams. Having played in various lower divisions, he made his Premier League debut with Sheffield United in 2019. He has represented England at under-16, under-17, under-20, under-21 and senior levels.

Arthur Masuaku

Fuka-Arthur Masuaku Kawela, known as Arthur Masuaku, is a Congolese professional footballer who is known as a wing-back or left back for Premier League club West Ham United and the DR Congo national team. Masuaku began his senior career with Valenciennes, and has also played for Olympiacos. He represented France at the youth level.

Sven Ulreich

Sven Ulreich is a German professional footballer who is known as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Ulreich was also a member of the Germany U16, Germany U19, Germany U21 teams and received a call-up for the senior team.

Ilaix Moriba

Moriba Kourouma Kourouma, known as Ilaix Moriba, is a Guinean professional footballer who is known as a central midfielder for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig.

Ilaix is a youth international with Spain, but he is also eligible for both Guinea and Liberia. It appeared the youngster eventually chose to play for the Guinea national team, being set to make his debut on the international stage in June 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic froze the 2020 football season.

On August 21, 2021, he officially chose to change international allegiances from Spain and chose to play with the Guinea national team.

Kalidou Koulibaly

Kalidou Koulibaly is a professional footballer who is known as centre-back for Serie A club Napoli and captain of the Senegal national team.

Koulibaly began his professional club career with French team Metz in 2010, before moving to Belgian club Genk in 2012, winning the Belgian Cup in his first season. He joined Italian team Napoli in 2014, where he won the Supercoppa Italiana title; he also won the Coppa Italia in 2020.

As Koulibaly was born in France to Senegalese parents, he was eligible to represent both nations at international level, and initially played for the France national under-20 football team. He later made his senior debut with Senegal in 2015 and was a member of the Senegal squad that took part at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. He was named to the side that represented Senegal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup the following year, and subsequently helped his team to the final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Stefan Radu

Ștefan Daniel Radu is a Romanian professional footballer who is known as a left-back or a centre-back for Italian club Lazio.

After a stint in his home country with Dinamo București during which he earned three domestic honours, including one national title, Radu moved to Lazio in 2008 on an initial loan. With the Biancocelesti he gained team captaincy and won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. In 2021, Radu became the leading appearance maker for Lazio in all competitions.

He registered his senior debut for the Romania national team in 2006, and made thirteen appearances before his early retirement in 2013, at age 26.

Iñaki Peña

Ignacio “Iñaki” Peña Sotorres is a Spanish professional footballer who is known as a goalkeeper for Barcelona B.

Peña represented Spain at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels, earning a combined total of 28 caps. He was a runner up in the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, being a first-choice throughout the tournament.

Due to the isolation of some national team players following the positive COVID-19 test of Sergio Busquets, Spain’s under-21 squad were called up for the international friendly against Lithuania on 8 June 2021.

Jon Pacheco

Jon Pacheco Dozagarat is a Spanish professional footballer who is known as a central defender for Real Sociedad. Pacheco represented Spain at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels, playing in the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.