What is a False Nine?

The false nine has been a key tactic for some of footballs great sides. Pep Guardiola's Barcelona and Spains Euro and World Cup winning teams used it to incredible effect. But what actually is a false nine?

While not as common as traditional striker roles, the false nine continues to be embraced by teams looking to add unpredictability and creativity to their attacking play. Henry Cooke illustrates as Seb Stafford-Bloor writes.

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[PH-jvik]

Totti rarely gets mentioned as a f9 but he was great at it obviously Messi is Messi but still.

[internetperson]

firmino played this role to perfection

[makmoonish]

It’s good to see people appreciate Firmino !! He never scored more goals than salah or Mane but he was more important in that Team ! It’s not always numbers!

[DragonMson]

Can't even start to describe how underrated Bobby firmino is

[crispyroti]

Messi may have been a false 9 for all but around two seasons, but when he was he was unstoppable, pure perfection and best example of a false 9 to date

[nikolasotra]

Benzema fit the role as a false and true nine perfectly. During BBC he often played similarly to a false nine and did it wonderfully. Now with vini he's been a goal scoring machine as a true nine.

[huzaifa]

How to you play a false nine? Simple. Wear a kit number 10

[amirianozakwano]

I have no idea about hidegkuti. But I remembered back in the days where Totti become the main striker for Roma. King Totti!

[savageftw]

Firmino was pure definition of a false 9

[TheBuissnessGuy]

Whenever i hear false 9, one person comes to my mind, bobby firminho

[lilbutterfly]

The difference between Messi/totti/Del piero and Firmino/Benzema is that the first is attacking midfielder/winger category they are fast in their game where they ends scoring a lot, while the other is a striker category, tactically and technically very composed to a slower range which forces them drop to midfield to link the dots between wingers and midfielders and confuse defenders tactically

[miqdadhaidar]

I like Firmino grit as a F9, rarely see such technical yet ferocious player combined in one package

[crispyrock]

a really underrated false 9 in my opinion is Raul Jimenez, that guys distribution and creativity might be better than his actual goal scoring ability I love watching how he distributes and drops deep to open up so many passing options

[Werewolf_Boyo.From_CRK]

I'm glad someone from the Hungarian Golden Team was mentioned!

[ByronJackson]

The false 9 was perfect for someone like leo given he's arguably top2 goalscorer oat and a top2 playmaker oat the natural creativity and mercenary finishing it was too good man

[EP]

There should be a picture of Messi next to the term flase 9. He is the epidemy of that position and everything it encompases.

[wilsonkennedy]

We need more like this. Meaning of the position

[Michael.Tyle.]

Messi is the greatest false 9 to have ever lived he nailed it.

[anugrahsoni]

I have never seen a better and pure false 9 than Thomas muller

[BlazySM-qpyn]

Firmino used to be a CAM when playing in the Bundesliga, his vision dribbling and passing were incredible. He was like a number 10 who would also press like a madman. Underrated