Is Joao Pedro ready to break Chelsea's so-called number nine curse?
August 26, 2026 07:41
Joao Pedro opened Xabi Alonso's tenure as Chelsea manager with a goal at Craven Cottage, scoring just 31 seconds into the match by chipping Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno as Chelsea went on to win 3-2. The strike came shortly after Chelsea confirmed he would wear the club's number nine shirt and had signed a new contract with improved terms running until 2034.
The 24-year-old, who missed out on Brazil's World Cup squad in the summer, dismissed talk of a "number nine curse" after the game and said numbers do not determine how a player handles pressure. He played alongside Cole Palmer and club-record signing Morgan Rogers in the match.
KEY CONTEXT
A vocal section of Chelsea fans view the number nine shirt as historically unlucky: the club has not had a clearly prolific forward in that particular shirt since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink left in 2004. High-profile forwards who have worn nine — including Romelu Lukaku, Álvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuaín, Radamel Falcao and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — are cited as examples of players who struggled while assigned the number. Before Joao Pedro, Liam Delap wore nine; Delap is reportedly in talks with Nottingham Forest after scoring one Premier League goal last season.
Joao Pedro arrived at Chelsea last summer from Brighton in a deal reported at £55m plus up to £5m in add-ons. He scored 20 goals in all competitions last season, making him the first Chelsea striker since Diego Costa to reach that total. His mother, Flavia Junqueira, and long-time trainer Rodrigo Goncalves have both been publicly profiled, outlining his difficult upbringing, early homesickness, and the extra training and support that helped his development.
WHY IT MATTERS
The combination of an early goal, a long-term contract and the assignment of the iconic number nine shirt places Joao Pedro at the centre of expectations at Stamford Bridge. Given the history of high-profile forwards failing while wearing nine and the club’s substantial financial outlay to recruit him, his performance will be watched closely as an indicator of whether Chelsea can end that particular pattern. His personal background and the support network around him are frequently cited by those close to him as reasons they believe he can cope with the role.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Whether Joao Pedro can maintain scoring form and consistency across the coming fixtures under Xabi Alonso.
- The progress of Liam Delap's reported talks with Nottingham Forest and any resulting squad changes at Chelsea.
- How the forward partnership including Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers develops after the opening match.
KEY FACTS
- Joao Pedro scored 31 seconds into Chelsea’s 3-2 win at Fulham, chipping Bernd Leno.
- He has been given the number nine shirt and a contract that runs until 2034.