FC Cincinnati and Neymar could face a complicated situation if the superstar Brazilian icon joins the MLS club in the near future, as his usual shirt numbers are already taken.
While any assurances of Neymar signing with FC Cincinnati are far from complete—The Athletic report only preliminary talks are in the works—the Ohio MLS side would need to undergo major alterations to fit him in.
Not only would they have to move one of the team’s Designated Players if he were to make over $1,803,125 per season, but several players may also need to shift shirt numbers, with Neymar’s 10, 11 and 12, which he has worn throughout his career, already taken.
Here, Sports Illustrated takes a look at what numbers he could wear at Cincinnati should the club opt to keep both Evander and Miles Robinson as two of its DP players.
Number 10 - Taken by Evander
The obvious choice for Neymar is of course his storied 10 shirt. He wore the number for Brazil, Santos, Al Hilal and Paris Saint-Germain.
Except Cincinnati’s current key Brazilian midfielder now wears it. Evander, who is considered among the best MLS attacking midfielders, has worn the kit number since arriving from the Portland Timbers ahead of the 2025 season.
While he would likely surrender the shirt number for one of his country’s soccer icons, there are no assurances that it would become available.
Number 11 - Taken by Samuel Gidi
The number Neymar wore for his legendary stint at Barcelona and for part of his time at PSG was 11. That shirt is also taken at FC Cincinnati, albeit by a non-DP player, Samuel Gidi.
The Ghanaian-Slovakian midfielder has worn only 11 shirts throughout his senior career, with a short spell with MSK Zilina B in Slovakia being the only time he wore the No. 8 shirt. On the international stage, he wore No. 22 with Slovakia’s U-21 men’s national team.
Number 12 - Taken by Miles Robinson
Neymar has once worn the No. 12 kit, doing so in a Coupe de France match for PSG against FC Lorient in 2020, due to rules from the French federation and tournament organizers. It wouldn’t be his preferred number, and it is currently held by USMNT center back Miles Robinson, who is reportedly the highest-paid defender in MLS.
Number 7 - Available
The No. 7 kit is currently available at FC Cincinnati and is the number Neymar briefly wore with Brazil’s U-20 team in 2011. While it wouldn’t be his first-choice—or second, or third—it would create minimal issues if he were to take the shirt.
Yet every indication points to a star player like him likely taking the No. 10, forcing Evander to move off his current assignment.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Neymar’s Potential Shirt Numbers at FC Cincinnati.
