Euro 2024 goalkeeper number index

Barring injury, Sunday’s Euro 2024 final will feature a small piece of shirt-number history as a goalkeeper wearing number 23 features in the fixture for the first time – Unai Simón of Spain.

Spain’s semi-final win over France didn’t feature a number 1 – Mike Maignan favours 16 – but, by and large, the traditional number for a first-choice goalkeeper remains the most popular. Of the 24 countries at the competition, 17 of them had their number 1 and two of those – Jordan Pickford and Bart Verbruggen – were between the sticks in the other semi-final.

Views as to which numbers should be used for the other two keepers in a squad are likely to vary based on geography and so we have compiled the data on all of the competing nations.

Number 1 (24 countries)

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By rule, this tally had to be 24 unless a country was going to leave a vacancy in the number 1 shirt as competition regulations state that it has to be given to a goalkeeper if used.

The number 1s that did not play were Etrit Berisha (Albania), Heinz Lindner (Austria), Brice Samba (France), Giorgi Loria (Georgia), Rui Patricío (Portugal) and Heoyhiy Bushchan (Ukraine, who used two other keepers).

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Number 12 (18 countries)

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Still the most traditional number across Europe for a reserve keeper, though not in England, of course.

Of this 18-man group, only Altay Bayındır, Anatoliy Trubin and Łukasz Skorupski started games, but none did so in the opening match – Skorupski was given a run against France after Poland were already eliminated.

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Number 13 (five countries)

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Since the 1966 World Cup, the only tournament where England have not given number 13 to a goalkeeper was in 2010 – presumably, Fabio Capello’s Italian influence saw Robert Green assigned 12 with Stephen Warnock becoming the answer to a trivia question as he was allocated 13.

Unsurprisingly, Spain are one of the other countries with a goalkeeper wearing 13, while the Netherlands first gave 13 to a second-choice keeper for Euro 2020. It’s worth noting that the remaining two countries, Austria – for whom Patrick Pentz was the only goalkeeping 13 to play – and Belgium, also have 12 as a goalkeeper.

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Number 16 (five countries)

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That most French of goalkeeper numbers, with their first-choice goalkeeper Mike Maignan the only one of this quintet to get on the field.

Its use dates from the days of five substitutes and giving the backup goalkeeper the highest number rather than 12, though it’s interesting to note that, in the case of both Romania and Slovenia, 16 was accompanying 1 and 12.

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Number 21 (two countries)

Three years ago, the winners had number 21 in goal but, this time around, Gianluigi Donnarumma wore the number 1 for Italy.

While 21 can be popular at club level as it ends in 1, here it was the preserve of just a pair of third-choice netminders.

Number 22 (five countries)

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A residual popularity dating back to the pre-2002 days when countries took two 11s to European Championships and World Cups – the allowance of a 23rd player was conditional upon teams naming three goalkeepers, which explains somewhat why the 23 began to be used more.

Diogo Costa of Portugal was the only goalkeeping number 22 to see game-time at this Euros – the preference for a repeating digit possibly linked to the fact that he wears 99 for Porto.

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Number 23 (eleven countries)

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A clear third behind 1 and 12, a hangover from the increase of squad sizes from 22 to 23 – and, while tournament squads are now 26-strong, managers must still choose 23 for each matchday, which perhaps goes some way to explaining why the number continues to be assigned to goalkeepers.

Of the 11 goalkeepers given the number for Euro 2024, three – Unai Simón, Thomas Strakosha and Andriy Lunin – began the tournament as first-choice, though Lunin was replaced by Anatoliy Trubin.

In the case of Unai Simón, it appears he has grown attached to 23 since being given it first for Euro 2020, when David De Gea still had 1. At club level, he has 1 for Athletic Club and could not wear 23 even if he wanted to.

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Number 25 (one country)

In England, 25 is often seen worn by goalkeepers – Pepe Reina had it throughout his time at Liverpool while Joe Hart had two stints wearing it for Manchester City and, when squad numbers were first introduced, it was assigned to Gary Walsh and then Kevin Pilkington at Manchester United.

Reina’s attachment could perhaps be explained by the fact that 25 is one of the few numbers that goalkeepers in Spain are allowed to wear but, as it is such a new addition for major tournaments, it’s hardly surprising that it has not had much usage (equally, 24 – another semi-common one domestically – has not been worn by any goalkeepers).

The only 25 at Euro 2024 was Georgia’s first-choice keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who also wears it for Valencia. During qualification, where squads are limited to 23, he generally wore 12.

Number 26 (one country)

While Euro 2024 is the third consecutive tournament to feature 26-man squads, there has not been the same move to give goalkeepers the last spot on the list that there was in the days of 22 or 23.

Just one country have embraced the practice, with Italy’s third-choice Alex Meret wearing 26 – three years ago, when they won the competition, he was also the only goalkeeper allocated that number.

Country-by-country breakdown