Tallest Soccer Player In The World: (2022/23 Season Update)

Height is not a prerequisite to being a top player in professional soccer. However, it certainly helps, in some positions, more than others. For example: being tall is undoubtedly helpful for goalkeepers and center-backs. However, any midfielder would prefer agility over height. Maybe, not Leeds United Darko Gyabi. In this article, we will look at the tallest soccer player in the world – both from the past and present.

We will also examine how the profile of the tallest players in the game has changed from the pre-war era to the present. If you are looking for the tallest Premier League player 2022/23, go directly to section 5 in the menu below.

Who Is The Tallest Soccer Player In 2022/23 season (Top 10 Worldwide)

In modern soccer, goalkeepers are usually the tallest soccer players in the squad. And our list of current top ten tallest professional soccer players confirms this fact.

Goalkeepers

 

Simon Bloch Jorgensen – 210cm – 6ft 10.7in (Waltham Abbey/Denmark)

YOB: 1992

Simon is a Danish goalkeeper who currently plays for Waltham Abbey in the Southern League Division One. He is regarded as the tallest soccer player to be currently active.

He spent his youth and early professional career with some Danish clubs such as Frem, FC Copenhagen, B.93, and B.1908. However, he has spent his recent time moving between clubs in the lower rungs of English soccer.

Kristof van Hout – 208cm – 6ft 9.9in (KVC Westerlo/Belgium)

YOB: 1987

In the second tier of the Belgian pro league (Belgian First Division B), Kristof van Hout is currently signed to Belgian club KVC Westerlo. He came through the Belgian pro league youth academies of Lommel, Geel, and Willem II.

From 2007 to 2014, he played for top Belgian pro league sides such as Kortrijk, Standard Liege, and Genk. In 2014, Kristof van Hout went to play for Delhi Dynamos in India.

However, a year later, he moved back to the Belgian pro league to play for Westerlo and has been making club appearances ever since.

Tomas Holy – 206cm – 6ft 9in (Ipswich Town/Czech Republic)

YOB: 1991

Holy is the tallest soccer player currently at 206 cm. The Czech goalkeeper is a product of Sparta Prague youth academy. He left the famous Czech club for England to join football league team Gillingham in 2017.

He is currently signed to Ipswich Town in League One – the third tier of English Soccer. He has also represented the Czech national side at U16, U17, and U18 levels and has always been the tallest soccer player in every squad his been involved in.

Dino Hodzic – 205cm – 6ft 8.75in (A Akranes/Croatia)

YOB: 1995

Dino Hodzic is a Croatian goalkeeper who is currently playing his trade in Iceland. The lanky goalkeeper plays for Úrvalsdeild (Icelandic top tier) side Íþróttabandalag Akraness.

The 26-year-old has spent his entire professional soccer career in Europe playing for clubs such as Mezőkövesd (Hungary), Vejle BK, and FC Fredericia (both Denmark).

Lucas Bergström – 205cm – 6ft 8.75in (Chelsea Football Club/Finland)

YOB: 2002

Lucas Bergstrom hails from Finland and moved to the UK when he signed for Premier League giants Chelsea. The 20-year-old joined the Chelsea youth academy from Finnish club TPS in 2019. He is a tremendous prospect but has yet to make an appearance at the senior level.

In 2021, he was promoted to the Chelsea U23 side and competed with some of the best players in the world.

For the 2022/23 season, Lucas has been loaned out to Peterborough United Football club to get some first-team action. Lucas Bergström’s current contract runs until 2024.

Kjell Scherpen – 204cm – 6ft 8.3in (Brighton & Hove Albion/Netherlands)

YOB: 2000

Kjell Scherpen is a Dutch soccer player who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion in Premier League. The 21-year-old came through the youth academy of FC Emmen and was a regular in the club’s senior side during the 2018-19 Eredivisie side.

His performances earned him a move to Dutch giants Ajax in 2019. However, Kjell Scherpen has managed to make a couple of league appearances for Ajax during the 2020-21 season.

During the summer of 2021, he was signed by the English premier league team Brighton And Hove Albion. Kjell Scherpen is currently the second tallest soccer player in the premier league history.

Costel Pantilimon – 203cm – 6ft 7.9in (Free Agent/Romania)

YOB: 1987

Costel Pantilimon is currently a free agent and last played for Turkish club Denizlispor. However, the Romanian national team goalkeeper is famous for his spells in various English club careers at Manchester City, Sunderland, Watford, and Nottingham Forest.

He made seven league appearances for EPL champions Manchester City in 2013-14, earning a Premier League winners’ medal and one of the most successful tallest soccer players in the world.

Football pundits and Southampton fans will fondly remember when Dani Osvaldo scored a super goal and lobbed the 6ft 8in goalkeeper. Costel Pantilimon was also a regular feature in the Sunderland side of the 2014-15 season.

He made his international debut for the Romanian national team in a friendly against Georgia in 2008.

Despite being included in the final 23-man Romania national team squad for UEFA Euro 2016, Costel Pantinimon did not appear in any matches at this tournament. He was the tallest soccer player at Euro 2016 being 2cm taller than England’s Fraser Forster.

Defenders

 

Mikkel Mena Qvist – 203cm – 6ft 7.9in  (Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar/Denmark)

YOB: 1993

Mikkel Mena Qvist is a Danish-Colombian soccer player who plays as a center-back. The 28-year-old spent most of his youth career at Danish clubs AGF and Lyseng. He signed for Danish Superliga side Horsens in 2017 and has been with the club since.

However, he has spent most of the last two seasons on loan spells. Currently, Mikkel Mena Qvist is playing for the Icelandic club Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar on loan. Having previously played 11 times for them in 2020, this is his second loan spell with Horsens.

The Urvalsdeild, Iceland’s top league is renowned for having some of the tallest soccer players in the world.

Evgheni Pleşco – 202cm 6ft 7.5in (FC Sheriff/Moldova)

YOB: 2001

Evgheni Pleşco is a center-back from Moldova. The 20-year-old is currently signed to FC Sheriff Tiraspol in the top division of Moldovan soccer. His club career with Sheriff, who as a club have recently become famous after defeating Real Madrid in the Champions League.

However, Evgheni Pleşco is only a member of the youth side and is yet to make a senior appearance for FC Sheriff Tiraspol. He has also represented the Moldova U21 side.

Forwards

Lacina Traore – 203cm – 6ft 7.9in (Free Agent / Ivory Coast)

YOB: 1990

Lacina Traore is a free agent who played for Bandırmaspor in the Turkish second division during the 2020-21 season. The 31-year-old has played for some famous European clubs such as Monaco, Everton, CSKA Moscow.

In 2012, Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala paid around €18 million to sign him from Kuban Krasnodar. He was also a part of the Ivory Coast squad that won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

During his heydays, Lacina Traore was famous for his big frame and was nicknamed “The Big Tree.” He has the record for being the tallest player ever to play in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

(The) Tallest Soccer Players Ever

It is almost an impossible task to find the tallest players to play soccer ever for sure. However, we have explored the depths of the internet to find out some of the tallest players to play soccer in recent history. This list is in addition to our list of tallest soccer players that are currently active.

Goalkeepers

Felix Wolf – 212cm – 6ft 11.5in (Germany)

YOB: 1986

Although there is not much information available on Felix Wolf, at 212 cm (6ft 11.5in), he appears to be the tallest soccer player to have existed in the 21st century. The German keeper came through the youth academy of FC Energie Cottbus and played for their U17 and U19 sides.

Felix also played for other German clubs such as TSV Cottbus and Kunersdorf. Unfortunately, no record of his soccer professional career exists beyond 2017. He is the tallest professional football player in our article.

Compared to the tallest person in the world, he is still 39 cm behind.  The tallest man alive right now is 251 cm (8 feet, 2.8 inches). That is the size of goalposts in soccer.

Fokko Booiman – 211cm – 6ft 11in (Netherlands)

YOB: 1986

Fokko Booiman hails from the Netherlands, and he has played for several clubs in the lower tiers of Dutch soccer, such as VVAK, VV Hoogeveen, and La Première. As per his profile on Transfermarkt, he is 35-year-old at the time of writing.

However, following his move to La Première in 2015, there is no information on his profile.

Vanja Ivesa – 205cm – 6ft 8.75in (Croatia)

YOB: 1977

Vanja Ives is a Croatian goalkeeper who recently retired, at the age of 43, in 2021. He made his senior debut in 1995, and in a soccer career spanning 26 years, he played for several Croatian football clubs and short stints in Turkey and Australia.

At the beginning of 2018, he became the oldest player to play in the top division with a Croatian football club. He has the record for the tallest soccer player to have a professional soccer career in Croatia, Turkey, and Australian leagues.

Defenders

Even Iversen – 203cm – 6ft 7.9in (Norway)

YOB: 1982

Even Iversen is a Norwegian center back. He was born in 1982 and spent his entire professional career with the Norwegian Premier League club. The highlight of Even Iversen’s successful career was arguably his time at the famous Norwegian club Bodø / Glimt from 2006 to 2009.

The talented soccer player also played for other lower division clubs Frognerparken and Hasle-Løren. In 2017, Even Iversen moved to Flisbyen BK and ended his soccer career there.

Forwards

Yang Changpend – 209cm – 6ft 10.3in (China)

YOB: 1989

Yang Changpend is arguably the tallest non-European soccer player to have played in the 21st century. The Chinese center forward spent his entire career playing in his native country. The last club Yang Changpend played for was HB Huachuang.

As per his profile, he left the club in January 2021 and hasn’t returned to the Chinese super league.

Paul Millar – 208cm – 6ft 9.9in (Scotland)

YOB: 1988

Paul Millar is a Scottish forward who is mainly remembered for his time at Elgin City. He last played for Deveronvale during the 2015-2016 season. Millar is also known by his birth name Paul Leech-Flannigan.

Unfortunately, he suffered a horrible cruciate knee ligament injury and was one of the tallest soccer players to retire relatively early in his career.

Tor Hogne Aaroy – 204cm – 6ft 8.3in (Norway)

YOB: 1977

Tor Hogne Aarøy is a former Norwegian forward who retired from professional football in 2014. In the 2015 edition of the FIFA video game, Tor Hogne Aarøy was credited as the tallest soccer player. He spent most of his playing time in Norway, particularly at Aalesund.

He also spent a couple of seasons in Japan, playing for JEF United Chiba in J2 League.

Oyvind Hoas – 203cm – 6ft 7.9in (Norway)

YOB: 1983

Oyvind Hoas is another Norwegian tallest footballer on our list. Hoas played forward and represented several top Norwegian clubs such as Molde, Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg 08, and Honefoss. Oyvind Hoas last played for Kristiansund in OBOS-ligaen, the second tier of Norwegian soccer.

Hoas retired following the conclusion of the 2015 season at the age of 32.

Stefan Maierhofer – 202cm – 6ft 7.5in (Austria)

YOB: 1982

Stefan Maierhofer is a veteran Austrian striker who is currently a free agent. The 39-year-old played for Würzburger Kickers in 2. Bundesliga during the 2020-21 season.

The former Austria international joined the Bayern Munich reserve team in 2005 and made a couple of substitute appearances for the senior squad. However, he never settled at a single club for long and always had a journeyman career.

Regardless, Stefan Maierhofer won Austrian Bundesliga with both Rapid Vienna and Red Bull Salzburg. He also joined the English premier league club Wolverhampton Wolves in 2009, but injuries hampered his time in England.

He is the tallest soccer player ever to play for Rapid Vienna, Red Bull Salzburg, and Wolves.

Tallest Soccer Player Who Achieved The Most Success

A brief look at our list of tallest soccer players would confirm that height is not directly proportional to talent and success in soccer. None of the players mentioned so far managed to play at the top level for long. So now, the question arises whether tall players can have a successful career in soccer.

Retired England striker Peter Crouch would argue it’s certainly possible. We would claim that Peter Crouch has been the most successful tall soccer player in recent history. His 201 cm (6ft 7.1in) frame made him a threat in the air, and he also possessed an excellent first touch.

The former tallest striker made 42 appearances and scored 22 goals (including a hattrick) for the Three Lions, but he also represented some of the biggest soccer teams in English Soccer, such as Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspurs, Aston Villa, Southampton, Stoke City, Portsmouth etc.

He won the FA Cup with Liverpool Football Club in 2005-06. Peter Crouch played in the 2006-07 Champions League final but ended up on the losing side. He was also a runner-up in the FIFA World Club Championships in 2005.

Peter Crouch was inducted into the Guinness World Records for the most headed goals scored in the Premier League in 2018.

Top 10 Tallest Players In US Soccer – 2022 Season

The tallest player in the 2022 season in Major League Soccer is 203cm.

Matthew Nocita – 203cm – 6ft 7.9in – Defender – New York Red Bulls (US)

Matt Nocita was selected 7th overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, and is a defender from Navy Men’s Soccer. As an ECAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, the Californian teen was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American.

The tall center-back missed just one game in four seasons. As to whether he will debut, it is up to him to adjust to the speed of the professional game.

Hunter Sulte – 201cm – 6ft 7.1in – Goalkeeper – Portland Timbers (US)

YOB: 2002

Hunter Pendleton Sulte is an American player who plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer (MLS). He has progressed from Timbers’ youth academy and made his senior debut in 2021. The 19-year-old originally hails from Alaska, and he is the first player from the state to sign a Homegrown contract with an MLS side.

Luka Garvan – 198cm 6ft 6in – Goalkeeper – Toronto FC (Canada)

The Canadian had a memorable season in goal for the Red Storm. There were 12 clean sheets in his personal statistics. Garvan was named the Big East Goalkeeper of the Year and to the All-Big East Conference 1st Team.

Aside from his collegiate accolades, he was also named to the All-East Region 1st Team and the All-American 3rd Team. As the 31st overall pick in the 2022 MLS Draft, Garvan was selected by Toronto FC. At 198cm, Garvan comes directly into the USA’s tallest soccer players list for 2022.

Jonathan Sirois – 198cm – 6ft 6in – Goalkeeper – CF Montréal (Canada)

YOB: 2001

Jonathan Sirois is a Canadian keeper who is currently signed to CF Montreal. The 20-year-old progressed through the CF Montreal youth academy before signing a first-team contract in 2020. However, he has spent the last couple of seasons on loan with Valour FC of the Canadian Premier League.

Jonathan Sirois is currently the tallest soccer player in Canada.

Javier Otero – 198cm 6ft 6in – Goalkeeper – Orlando City (Venezuela)

In 2018, Otero joined the USSDA academy of MLS side Orlando City. On 24 October 2020, he started for Orlando City B against Greenville Triumph in USL League One, losing 4–1.

Without regular backup Mason Stajduhar, Otero has signed an MLS contract to play for Orlando City against New England Revolution on 15 June 2022.

Xavier Valdez – 198cm 6ft 6in – Goalkeeper – Houston Dynamo (US)

Houston Dynamo FC have signed 18-year-old goalkeeper Xavier Valdez. The youngster is yet to make his debut.

Jackson Ragen – 198cm 6ft 6in – Defender – Seattle Sounders (US)

During his youth, Ragen played for Seattle United from 2008 to 2016 before joining the Seattle Sounders FC Academy for one year. The University of Michigan announced on February 3, 2017 that Ragen had signed to play college soccer there.

Ragen’s MLS rights were acquired from Chicago Fire for a third-round pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, and the big defender is now on the roster of Seattle Sounders FC for the 2022 season.

Samuel Adeniran – 196cm – 6ft 5.1in – Forward – Seattle Sounders (US)

YOB: 1998

Samuel Adeniran is most likely the tallest forward in the US soccer pyramid. He spent the first part of his career playing for lower division clubs in European nations like Spain and Germany. The 23-year-old moved to the USL Championship side Tacoma Defiance in 2021.

Since Tacoma Defiance acts as a reserve club for Seattle Sounders, Samuel Adeniran also spent a brief loan spell at Sounders in 2021 and made 2 MLS appearances. He is currently on loan for season 2022 at San Antonio FC and scoring goals frequently.

Sebastian Breza – 196cm – 6ft 5.1in – Goalkeeper – CF Montréal (on loan) (Canada)

YOB: 1998

Sebastian Breza is a Canadian keeper who currently plays for CF Montreal on loan from Serie A side Bologna. He spent his youth in Italy and played for clubs like Manopoli and Potenza in lower Italian divisions always being the tallest soccer players in his squads.

In January 2020, Breza joined Bologna on a loan deal that was made permanent. Ahead of the 2021 MLS season, he was signed by CF Montreal on loan.

Nick DePuy – 196cm – 6ft 5.1in – Defender – Los Angeles Galaxy (US)

YOB: 1994

Nick DePuy is the tallest defender currently playing in MLS. The defender played four years of college soccer with UC Santa Barbara. CF Montreal picked him in the first round of the 2017 SuperDraft.

After making only five MLS appearances for Montreal, he was loaned to Ottawa Fury.

In 2018, he joined the Danish club Fremad Amager on another loan. In 2019, he signed with LA Galaxy II and a year later, Nick DePuy joined their senior roster.

Eric Dick – 196cm – 6ft 5.1in – Goalkeeper – Columbus Crew (US)

YOB: 1994

Eric Dick is a US born goalkeeper currently playing for USL Championship club Indy Eleven on loan from Columbus Crew. Dick played US college soccer for Butler Bulldogs. He played for the youth sides of Portland Timbers and Oklahoma City Energy before joining Sporting Kansas City in 2018.

Columbus Crew picked him up in Stage Two of the MLS Re-Entry Draft in 2020.

Issiar Dramé -196cm – 6ft 5.1in – Defender – New York Red Bulls (France)

YOB: 1999

Issiar Drame is a French soccer player who plays for MLS side New York Red Bulls. The 6 foot 5.1-inch center-back spent his formative years in France at the academies of Clairefontaine, Rennais, and Lyon. In 2020, he joined the Ukrainian Premier League club Olimpik Donetsk.

After spending a good season in Ukraine, Issiar Drame moved to the USA to play for NY Red Bulls.

Fred Emmings – 196cm – 6ft 5.1in – Goalkeeper – Minnesota United Football Club (Luxembourg)

YOB: 2004

Fred Emmings is the youngest player to make our list. The 17-year-old was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, but he represents Luxembourg at the international level.

He has come through Minnesota United youth academy and made the jump to the senior squad in 2020. He is also the first homegrown player to be given a deal by Minnesota United. Fred is the tallest soccer player from Luxembourg this season.

Top 12 Tallest Players In The English Premiership 2022/23

Now the transfer window has closed, we have updated the top 12 tallest players in the English Premier League for 2022/23. We rank these footballers from the current tallest players, Dan Burn and Fraser Forster, standing at 201cm, down to the players who stand tall at 197cm.

Dan Burn – 201cm – 6ft 7.1in – Defender – (Brighton & Hove Albion/England)

Dan Burn is an English defender who plays for Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion. Burn made his senior debut for Darlington in  Football League Two in 2009-10. His talent was soon noticed, and Fulham signed him ahead of the 2011-12 season.

He made his EPL debut in 2013-14. Before joining Brighton in 2018, he also played for other clubs such as Yeovil Town, Birmingham City, and Wigan Athletic. Alongside Fraser Forster, he is the tallest player in EPL 2022/2023.

Fraser Forster – 201cm – 6ft 7.1in – Goalkeeper – (Southampton/England)

Fraser Forster is a familiar face in Premier League. He signed his first professional contract when he joined Newcastle United as a 17-year-old in 2005. He stayed at the club until 2012 but never managed to break into the senior squad.

Following a couple of loan moves, he joined Scottish giants Celtic on a permanent move in 2012. After winning three consecutive Scottish titles, he joined Southampton in the English Premier League in 2014. Alongside Dan Burn, the veteran is the equal tallest Premier League player this season.

Sasa Kalajdzic – 200cm – 6ft 7 in – Forward – (Wolves/Austria)

Sasa Kalajdzic plays for the Austria national team. He is the new addition to the list of the tallest players in the EPL and tops the list as the tallest striker in Europe. The 25-year-old striker stands at 200cm (6 ft 7in).

On the day of making his debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Austrian tore his ACL ligament, which has ruled him out of the rest of the season.

Asmir Begović – 199cm – 6ft 6.4in  – Goalkeeper – (Everton/Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Asmir Begovic is a Premier League veteran who plays for premier league side Everton. The Bosnian international spent his childhood in Germany and Canada. In 2003, he signed a youth contract with Portsmouth and moved to England.

In Premier League, Asmir Begovic appeared for several major English clubs like Portsmouth, Stoke City, Chelsea, and Bournemouth. In 2019-20, he also enjoyed a brief loan spell with Italian giants AC Milan.

Jannik Vestergaard – 199cm – 6ft 6.4in – Defender – (Leicester City/Denmark)

Jannik Vestergaard is a Danish center-back who represents Leicester City in Premier League. Vestergaard spent his youth years in Denmark with clubs like Frem, FC Copenhagen, and Brøndby.

He moved to Hoffenheim in 2010 and made his senior debut with the Bundesliga side. He has spent his entire senior club career in Germany and England. Jannik Vestergaard is currently the third tallest outfield player in the English Premier League.

Kristoffer Ajer – 198cm – 6ft 6in – Defender – (Brentford/Denmark)

Ajer is a Norwegian center-back who plays for Brentford in Premier League. He spent most of his youth career at Lillestrøm and made his senior debut with IK Start in 2014.

Kristoffer Ajer signed for Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic in 2016 and stayed with them for five years. In the summer of 2021, he joined Brentford who is now back in the EP for the first time since 1947.

Nick Pope – 198cm – 6ft 6in – Goalkeeper – (Burnley/England)

Nick Pope can be considered as one of the best soccer goalkeepers currently in English Soccer. He has been a mainstay in Burnley’s squad under Sean Dyche. Furthermore, he was a part of the English squad that participated in the 2018 World Cup.

Before joining Burnley in 2016, Nick Pope was at Charlton Athletic for five years learning his trade and being one of the tallest soccer players in the Championship.

Wout Weghorst – 197cm – 6ft 5.6in – Forward – (Manchester United/Netherlands)

Standing tall at 1.97 meters, Wout Weghorst is a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field. As a striker, he excels in the “target man” role, utilizing his aerial dominance and ability to control the play. Recently, he joined Manchester United on loan for the remainder of the season.

Soccer experts have previously drawn comparisons between Weghorst’s playing style and that of Edin Dzeko. Known for his predatory goal-scoring abilities, his reactive finishing inside the penalty box was on display during the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals against Argentina, where he scored two key goals.

Wayne Hennessey – 197cm – 6ft 5.6in – Goalkeeper – (Nottingham Forest/Wales)

Wayne Hennessey is a Premier League veteran who has signed for Nottingham Forest. The Welsh-born keeper made a name for himself playing for the Wolves. After staying at the Midlands club for 11 years, Wales’s tallest footballer moved to Crystal Palace in 2014.

In 2021, he left Palace to join Burnley on a free transfer. Wayne Hennessey is a regular in the Wales national team, and he is their second-most capped played.

Robert Sánchez – 197cm –  6ft 5.6in – Goalkeeper – (Brighton & Hove Albion/Spain)

Robert Sanchez is a Spanish keeper currently playing for Brighton & Hove Albion in Premier League. Sanchez joined Brighton at the age of 15. Between 2018 and 2020, he spent time with Forest Green Rovers and Rochdale on loan deals.

He made his PL debut for the Seagulls in 2020-21, and he is currently the number 1 keeper at the club.

On the back of his club-level performances, Robert Sanchez also made his debut for Spain in 2021 and hopes to continue to grow a couple more centimeters to become the tallest soccer player from Spain.

Joel Robles – 197cm –  6ft 5.6in – Goalkeeper – (Leeds United/Spain)

Joel Robles is not new to the English Premier League. He spent five seasons at Everton with limited opportunity before moving to Real Betis in Spain for two seasons.

The 197cm goalkeeper has signed for Leeds United this season, hoping to become the No.1 between the posts for Yorkshire’s biggest soccer team.

Isaac Prince – 197cm –  6ft 5.6in – Midfielder – (Everton/Northern Ireland)

Isaac Price is 18 years who made his Everton debut in May 2022. The Northern Irish-born footballer joined the Everton academy at the age of 7. The young midfielder is rated highly. Stating at 1.97m, he is yet to fully grow into his body.

As he is 18 years old, there is the possibility that he could add a few more centimeters to become one of the tallest footballers players in England.

Jack Butland – 196cm – 6ft 5.2 in- Goalkeeper – (Crystal Palace)

This will the third season at Crystal Palace for Jack Butland. The youngest goalkeeper to make their senior debut for the England national team, Butland began his career with Birmingham City, and made his Football League debut for League Two side Cheltenham Town in September 2011.

Butland is the thirteenth tallest player in Premier League this season at 196cm.  Other players that are also 1.96m tall this season are Charlie Goode (Brentford), Darko Gyabi (Leeds United), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), Illan Meslier (Leeds United), Robin Olsen (Aston Villa), and Marek Rodak (Fulham Football Club)

How Tall Is Haaland

The most asked question we have recently received is if Erling Haaland is the tallest player in the English Premier League since joining  Manchester City in June 2022.

On his medical, the Manchester City medical team measured the forward at 195.2cm (6foot 4inches). This makes him the 13th tallest player this season. Now Sasa Kalajdzic of Wolves has been ruled out for the rest of the season, it does make Erling Harland the tallest forward currently playing in the EPL.

The 21-year-old claims he is still growing. When assessed twelve months ago, he claims he was 1cm shorter.

Top 10 Tallest Players In UK First Division Back In 1922/23 Season

Nils Middelboe 189cm – Midfielder – (Chelsea/Denmark)

Thomas Smart 188 cm – Defender – (Aston Villa/England)

Stanley Earle 185 cm – Midfielder – (Arsenal/England)

Billy Walker 183cm – Midfielder – (Aston Villa/England)

Lal Hilditch 180cm – Forward – (Manchester United/England)

Bobby Marshall 180cm – Forward – (Sunderland/England)

Bill McCracken 180cm – Defender – (Newcastle United/Northern Ireland)

Alf Steward 180cm – Goalkeeper – (Manchester United/England)

Francis Bradshaw 179cm – Forward – (Arsenal/England)

Joe Carter 178cm – Forward – (West Bromwich Albion/England)

Some observations stick out when we compare the tallest football player in English soccer from 100 years apart. Firstly, the height of the tallest players in the top division of the English division has significantly increased over the 100 years.

Secondly, English soccer has become a lot more international during this time. In 1922, many players came from England and the home nations, whereas the tallest soccer players list is a lot more diverse in 2022.

For example, the 2022 list has many players from Scandinavian nations, some of the world’s tallest countries. This could also explain the first observation to an extent.

Furthermore, the 2022 list is dominated by goalkeepers, whereas the 1922 list has only one keeper.

Tallest Soccer Players At The 2022 World Cup

Andries Noppert – 203cm – 6ft 7.9in – Goalkeeper – Netherlands

The Netherlands called up Andries Noppert to its national team in September 2022. He was selected for its 26-man contingent for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November. A 2–0 win over Senegal marked Noppert’s international debut for his country at the tournament.

Vanja Milinković-Savić – 202cm – 6ft 7.5in – Goalkeeper – Serbia

The Serbian goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic plays for the Italian club Torino as a professional footballer. He represents the Serbia national team after being born in Spain. He is the younger brother of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, a player for Lazio. He made his senior national team debut in a friendly against Qatar on 11 November 2021.

Thibaut Courtois – 200cm – 6ft 7 in – Goalkeeper – Belgium

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois represents the Belgium national team and La Liga club Real Madrid. Goalkeepers around the world consider him one of the finest. In a goalless draw against Croatia on 1 December 2022, he became the first Belgian goalkeeper to reach 100 matches for his country.

Wayne Hennessey – 198cm – 6ft 6.6in – Goalkeeper – Wales

In addition to playing as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Nottingham Forest, Wayne Hennessey represents Wales nationally. As the game was still goalless during the second group match against Iran, Hennessey was sent off for a foul on Mehdi Taremi with four minutes to go; it was the third time in FIFA World Cup history that a goalkeeper has been sent off, following Gianluca Pagliuca in 1994 and Itumeleng Khune in 2010. Ultimately, Wales lost 2–0.

Nick Pope – 198cm – 6ft 6.6in – Goalkeeper – England

Nick Pope was a part of the 23-man England squad for the 2018 World Cup. The Three Lions exceeded expectations as they made their way to the semi-finals. However, Nick Pope failed to make an appearance in the tournament.

Harry Souttar – 198cm – 6ft 6.6in – Defender – Australia

Currently playing for Stoke City in the EFL Championship, Harry Souttar is an Australian international player. In a World Cup qualifier against Nepal on 10 October 2019, he switched allegiance from Scotland and scored twice in a 5–0 win for the senior Australian national team. Regarding height, Souttar is the second tallest player representing the full Australian national team, behind Zeljko Kalac, who stands at 2.02 meters.

Koen Casteels – 197cm – 6ft 5.6in – Goalkeeper – Belgium

In addition to playing for the national team and Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg, Koen Casteels is a Belgian professional footballer. During the UEFA Nations League match against Iceland on 8 September 2020, Casteels made his international debut.

Pape Cissé – 197cm – 6ft 5.6in – Defender – Senegal

Pape Cisse plays center-back for Olympiacos in the Greek Super League and for Senegal’s national team. 24 August 2018 marked his first senior call-up against Madagascar for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Robert Sánchez – 197cm – 6ft 5.6in – Goalkeeper – Spain

Currently playing for Brighton & Hove Albion of the Premier League and the Spain national team, Robert Sanchez is a Spanish professional footballer. The Spaniards’ 2021 UEFA Nations League squad included Sanchez. Spain finished runner-up to France.

Daniel Schmidt – 197cm – 6ft 5.6in – Goalkeeper – Japan

Daniel Schmidt was born on 3 February 1992 in Tokyo, Japan, and plays for the Belgian club Sint-Truiden and the Japanese national team as a goalkeeper. On 30 August 2018, Schmidt was called up for the Kirin Challenge Cup 2018 as a Japan national football team member. During the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, he played his first competitive game for Japan in the 2-1 win against Uzbekistan on 17 January 2019.

Wout Weghorst – 197cm – 6ft 5.6in – Forward – Netherlands

Dutch footballer Wout Weghorst represents the Netherlands national team and Turkish Süper Lig club Beşiktaş. Weghorst has played as a center-forward, holding up the play and heading the ball well enough to be used as a ‘target man.’ In addition to his goal-poaching abilities, he is a good finisher around the box.

Tallest Soccer Players At The 1930 World Cup

1. Carvalho Leite 191cm – Forward – Brazil

2. Domingo Tejera 189cm – Defender – Uruguay

3. Enrique Ballestrero 188cm – Goalkeeper – Uruguay

4. Jimmy Douglas 186cm – Goalkeeper – USA

5. Ernesto Mascheroni 185cm – Defender – Uruguay

6. Jan De Bie 184cm – Goalkeeper – Belgium

7. Jacques Moeschal 184cm – Forward – Belgium

8. Jim Brown 183cm – Forward – USA

9. Mario De las Casas 182cm – Defender – Peru

10. Fausto Brasilien 182cm – Midfielder – Brazil

Several observations are made when we compare the tallest football players from two World Cups 88 years apart. The most significant one is that the tallest soccer player has significantly gotten taller by an average of 10 centimeters.

For example, the tenth-most tallest player at the 2018 World Cup was five cm taller than the tallest one at the 1930 tournament.

The list of the 1930 World Cup tallest soccer players is dominated by South American players, with six out of 10 players belonging to the continent. This number shouldn’t surprise anyone, as seven out of 13 participating nations in the tournament were from South America.

Meanwhile, in 2018, seven out of ten players were European and only one South American. Thus, 14 out of 32 nations were European in this tournament, and five were South American.

Lastly, we see that goalkeepers are some of the tallest soccer players in modern soccer, but this wasn’t the case before.

Tallest Man In The World 2022

The Turkish-born Sultan Kosen is currently the tallest man in the world. Standing at 251cm (8ft 2.8in), he would be 2.8 inches taller than the lower edge of the soccer goal crossbar. As 210cm Simon Bloch Jorgensen is the tallest soccer player in the world, he would be 41cm smaller than Sultan Kosen.

Images: 

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