Why Do Goalkeepers Walk Out Second After The Captain?

Before every football match begins, players walk onto the pitch. You’ll observe that in most cases, Goalkeepers are second after the captain. Why do Goalkeepers walk out second after the captain? Why is the star player of the team usually last? Is there any specific order for footballers walking onto the pitch before the match?

Surely, these questions must have come to your mind over the years as a football fan. But never worry, you’ll find satisfying answers here.

Is There A Rule About How Players Should Walk Onto The Pitch?

In football, there is no specific rule by any football body that governs how players should walk onto the pitch before a match begins.

However, certain traditions are now part of football today such that they are now like rules in football.

The tradition or idea behind how footballers walk onto the pitch is simple. Basically, the following principles apply:

Captains are usually the first to walk onto the pitch. Why? Captains are the leaders of the team and they are expected to lead by example. So, it makes sense for captains to walk onto the pitch first.
Jersey numbers of all other players (apart from the captain) play a significant role in what order they walk onto the pitch.
Players walk out in ascending order of their jersey numbers (except for the captain who walks out first). For example, in an ideal situation, this is the order of how players should walkout starting from the front; 11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.
If the captain, for example, wears Jersey no. 8, this should be the order: 11,10,9,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,8

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Why Goalkeepers Walk Onto The Pitch Second After The Captain

Given the above explanation, it is clear why Goalkeepers are usually second when players walk onto the pitch.

To reiterate, Goalkeepers are usually second after the captain because they wear jersey number 1 in most cases.

Given that players walk onto the pitch in ascending order of their Jersey numbers, Goalkeepers are most likely to be second after the captain.

However, in a situation when the Goalkeeper is the captain of the team, he will walk onto the pitch first not second.

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Why Star Players Like Ronaldo, Messi et al Walk Onto Pitch Last Irrespective of Their Jersey Numbers?

As mentioned at the outset, there is no set rule about how players should walk onto the pitch before the match starts.

However, in a traditional setting, captains walk out first while other players follow in ascending order of their jersey numbers.

Star players like Ronaldo, Messi, or Neymar choose to walk onto the pitch last irrespective of their jersey numbers. Why? They want to get the most attention from fans.

In most cases, players who walk onto the pitch last get the most applause and attention from fans. So, it is fitting for most star players in every team to want that attention.

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