1-99: Roma become first club in history to complete most satisfying feat after signing teenager Rodrigo Mora | Football News

Rodrigo Mora completes Roma’s remarkable 1-99 shirt number collection, making the club first to achieve the feat/ Credits: AS ROMA

Roma have completed the signing of Rodrigo Mora from Porto, and the teenage midfielder has arrived wearing a shirt number that gives the Italian club an unusual place in football history.Mora, who turned 19 in May, has been handed the No. 86 shirt following his move to the Serie A side. The number was the final missing piece in Roma’s remarkable collection, completing a run from 1 to 99 after every other squad number had previously been worn by a player. No. 86 was the only untouched number, having never been worn by a Roma player before.

Mora completes Roma’s 1-99 collection

Roma announced Mora’s permanent transfer from Porto on Wednesday without disclosing the financial details, although Italian media reports put the deal at around €25 million ($29.19 million), equivalent to approximately £21.4 million.The attacking midfielder has reportedly signed a five-year contract and was greeted by around 500 supporters after arriving in the Italian capital on Tuesday. Mora appeared moved by the reception as fans chanted his name while he signed autographs and posed for photographs.He progressed through Porto’s academy and made 80 appearances for the club’s senior side, scoring 16 goals. Although he has yet to make his senior debut for Portugal, he was part of the squad that won the Nations League last year.

FILE – Porto’s Rodrigo Mora celebrates on the shoulders of teammate Pepe after scoring his side’s second goal during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between FC Porto and Red Star Belgrade at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira, file)

Mora was given the No. 86 shirt at his official unveiling, a number he had also worn during his time with Porto’s reserve team.That seemingly ordinary squad-number decision completed something far more unusual for Roma: the club now have a documented player history covering every number from 1 to 99.

Some of Roma’s squad numbers are anything but ordinary

Serie A clubs are permitted to use squad numbers beyond the traditional 1-25 range, unlike Spain’s top flight, where primary squads are restricted to numbers 1 through 25.Roma have consequently accumulated some unconventional numbers over the years, with Mile Svilar currently wearing 99, Pierluigi Gollini having worn 96 and Daniele Ghilardi wearing 87.Mora’s 86 sits just below those numbers, while Robinio Vaz has 78, Niccolò Pisilli 61 and Wesley 43.The club’s historical list also includes some of the biggest names in their history: Francesco Totti wore No. 10, Daniele De Rossi No. 16, Paulo Dybala No. 21, Cafu No. 2, Aldair No. 6 and Mohamed Salah No. 11.The full list of players who have worn each number in Roma’s history:

The full sequence from 1 to 99 is now represented in Roma’s history, with Mora occupying the final missing number.

Mora gets to play alongside one of his idols

For Mora, the move also carries a personal significance beyond the unusual shirt-number achievement.The teenager revealed that Paulo Dybala was one of the players he grew up watching and said he was excited by the prospect of sharing the pitch with the Argentine at Roma.“I grew up watching Dybala, and now being able to play alongside him is so gratifying for me,” Mora said. “I can’t wait to get to know him. I think my main strength is shaking off opponents in complicated situations.”Mora now begins his first season in Italian football with a No. 86 shirt that has already given his arrival a small place in Roma history.