Yes. Soccer clubs can retire a jersey number as a tribute, taking it out of use for players in the teams covered by the announcement. AC Milan’s number 6 for Franco Baresi and Ajax’s number 14 for Johan Cruyff are examples. A retirement does not remove that number from every team, competition or supporter shirt: you need to check exactly who made the announcement and what it covers.
Was ändert sich, wenn ein Verein eine Rückennummer nicht mehr vergibt?
The tribute concerns the number being assigned to players. It can recognise a player’s contribution or commemorate someone who has died. The number becomes part of that team’s tribute to the person, rather than simply passing to another squad member.
A number missing from today’s squad list is not, by itself, evidence of a permanent retirement. Look for a statement saying the club has withdrawn it, rather than assuming an unused number has the same status.
Drei nachprüfbare Beispiele
Diese Fälle zeigen, warum die Mannschaft und der genaue Wortlaut wichtig sind. Sie sind eine kleine Auswahl dokumentierter Beispiele und keine vollständige Liste stillgelegter Rückennummern.
| Team and number | Spieler | What the primary source establishes |
|---|---|---|
| AC Milan · 6 | Franco Baresi | The club’s Hall of Fame biography says it retired his shirt number. |
| Ajax · 14 | Johan Cruyff | The Cruyff Foundation’s account says nobody else at Ajax will play in number 14. |
| Liverpool · 20 | Diogo Jota | Its 26 July 2025 announcement confirms retirement across all club levels, including LFC Women and the Academy. |
Warum die Nummernvergabe bei Turnieren gesondert geprüft werden muss
A club tribute and a tournament’s registration requirements answer different questions. To understand a national team’s options, read the rules for that particular competition and edition.
The May 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup 2026 regulations allows final squads of 23–26 players in Article 24.1. Article 29.1 sets the shirt-number range at 1–26, with number 1 for a goalkeeper; Article 29.2 gives a replacement goalkeeper the next unused number, such as 27.
UEFA’s European Championship 2026–28 regulations, Article 41.01, distinguish qualifying numbers, 1–23, from final-tournament numbers, 1–26. If number 1 is used, it must belong to a goalkeeper.
Ein zulässiger Nummernbereich ist nicht dasselbe wie eine Pflicht, jede darin enthaltene Nummer zu verwenden. Auch Kadergröße und Ersatzbestimmungen spielen eine Rolle. Diese Klauseln dürfen nicht auf die Behauptung verkürzt werden, Nationalmannschaften könnten niemals Nummern stilllegen oder eine einzige Regel gelte für jede internationale Partie.
Dürfen Fans die nicht mehr vergebene Rückennummer weiterhin tragen?
A number withdrawn from the playing squad can still appear on a supporter shirt. Liverpool provides a clear example: the same July 2025 announcement that confirmed Jota’s number 20 retirement also invited supporters to have “Diogo J. 20” printed through official club stores.
Beide Handlungen dienten demselben Gedenken: Seine Nummer wurde nicht mehr an Spieler vergeben, während Fans weiter an ihn erinnern konnten. Diese datierte Mitteilung erklärt den Unterschied; sie ist keine Aussage über die heutige Verfügbarkeit eines Aufdrucks in irgendeinem Shop.
If you are deciding what to print on your own shirt, our blank or named soccer jersey guide compares those options.
So prüfst du eine Behauptung über deinen Verein
- Start with the institution. Find the club or association’s own announcement and match the exact player and number.
- Read the scope. Is it a permanent retirement, a temporary tribute or simply a number absent from the current squad? Does the statement identify the first team, women’s team or Academy?
- Separate the competition. For a tournament appearance, check that edition’s registration rules and any replacement exception.
- Check the date and later updates. An old list is a starting point, not confirmation that every entry still has the same status.

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