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.
Height may also be quite important for center forwards, as it gives strikers a better chance of winning aerial duels and getting on the end of crosses. For example, the odds on Erling Haaland and Luke De Jong scoring headers are much shorter than, say, Gabriel Jesus out-jumping those giant center halves. In fact, in these days of dynamic online sports betting markets, many bookmakers regularly offer special promos on these taller strikers scoring headed goals as part of their sports betting bonuses.
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 2023/24, go directly to section 5 in the menu below.
Who Is The Tallest Soccer Player In 2023/24 season (Top 10 Worldwide)
In modern soccer, goalkeepers are usually the tallest soccer players in the squad, and the list of the 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.
Tomas Holy – 206cm – 6ft 9in (Carlisle United/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 Carlisle United 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 (Íþróttabandalag Akraness/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.
Lucas was been loaned out to Peterborough United Football Club to get some first-team action, playing 27 games and conceding 35 goals.
He has since returned back to his parent club for the 2023/24 season to continue his development. Lucas Bergström’s current contract runs until 2024.
Kjell Scherpen – 204cm – 6ft 8.3in (Sturm Graz/Netherlands)
YOB: 2000
Kjell Scherpen is a Dutch soccer player who plays for Sturm Graz, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion in the 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 Premier League history.
Defenders
Mikkel Mena Qvist – 203cm – 6ft 7.9in (Breiðablik/Iceland)
Mikkel Mena Qvist – 203cm – 6ft 7.9in (Breiðablik/Iceland)YOB: 1993
Mikkel Mena Qvist is a Danish-Colombian soccer player who plays as a centre-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 Breiðablik, having made 9 appearences scoring once.
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 Floreşti/Moldova)
YOB: 2001
Evgheni Pleşco is a center-back from Moldova. The 20-year-old is currently signed to FC Floreşti, in the top division of Moldovan soccer.
His former club was Sheriff Tiraspol, who as a club have recently become famous after defeating Real Madrid in the Champions League.
However, Evgheni Pleşco was released on a free last season, having only been a member of the youth side and is yet to make a senior appearance for his new side FC Floreşti. He has also represented the Moldovan 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, and 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.
Kyle Farren Hudlin – 206cm – 6 ft 9in (Huddersfield/England)
A new entry on this list, Kyle Farren Huddlin has broken into the Huddersfield Town team, after joining from Solihull Moors in 2022.
He spent last season on loan with AFC Wimbledon where he gained some valuable experience, and has since made multiple appearences this year under manager Darren Moore.
His only goal for Huddersfield so far came in the EFL Cup this year, where despite playing only 1 minute of football, he scored a late header in a 3-2 loss to Middlesbrough.
(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 37 years 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 centre-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 centre-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 41-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 the 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 12 Tallest Players In US Soccer – 2024 Season
The tallest player in the 2024 season in Major League Soccer is 203cm.
Matthew Nocita – 203cm – 6ft 8in – 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 centre-back missed just one game in four seasons. He has struggled to find game time, playing only a single game, turning out for the 2nd team 18 times since joining.
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 5.5in – 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 2024.
Ben Lundt – 198 cm 6ft 5.5 in – St. Louis City SC
Y.O.B – 1995
Ben Lundt is a goalkeeper playing for St Louis City. Behind former Dortmund stope Roman Burki in the pecking order, Lundt has struggled for game time this past season, making just a single appearance.
He has spent much of his career playing for American sides, despite being born in Berlin and spending much of his childhood there.
With 33 appearences his best spell to date has been his at Phoenix Rising, a side playing in the USL Pro, the second biggest league in America, signing after impressing in a short loan there.
After keeping 13 clean sheets in 44 games, he earned a move to MLS side St. Louis City, where he made his MLS debut the season just gone.
Javier Otero – 198cm 6ft 5.5in – 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 5.5in – 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 5.5in – 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.
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.
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 centre-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 the 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 the 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 2023/24
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.
The current tallest player in the Premier League is Lucas Bergstrom, who was listed earlier as one of the tallest players in the world. However, the young keeper is yet to make any appearences for Chelsea.
Dan Burn – 201cm – 6ft 7in – Defender – (Newcastle United/England)
Dan Burn is an English defender who plays for Premier League side Newcastle United. 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 Newcastle in 2022, 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 2023/2024.
Fraser Forster – 201cm – 6ft 7in – Goalkeeper – (Tottenham/England)
Fraser Forster is a familiar face in the 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 6in).
On the day of making his debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Austrian tore his ACL ligament, which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Kristoffer Ajer – 198cm – 6ft 6in – Defender – (Brentford/Denmark)
Ajer is a Norwegian centre-back who plays for Brentford in the 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 – (Newcastle United/England)
Another of Newcastle’s tall players, Nick Pope can be considered as one of the best soccer goalkeepers currently in English Soccer.
He has been a mainstay in The Magpies’s squad under Eddie Howe. Furthermore, he was a part of the English squad that participated in the 2018 World Cup.
Before joining Newcastle in 2022, Nick Pope was at Burnley from 2016, whereas before that he was at Charlton Athletic for five years learning his trade and being one of the tallest soccer players in the Championship
Altay Bayındır – 198cm – 6ft 6in – Goalkeeper – (Manchester United/Turkey)
A summer signing as the backup to Onana, Bayındır joined for 10 million Euro from Fenerbache but is yet to make an appearance for United, despite Onana’s inconsistent form.
He made 135 appearences in his 5-year spell at the Turkish giants, so he will be used to being 1st choice.
However, he signed with the knowledge he would be second choice, so it seems Altay is happy to bide his time and wait for an opportunity. Ten Haag has a reputation for sticking with his players, so time will tell whether Altay will get his chance.
Arijanet Muric – 198 cm – 6ft 6in – Goalkeeper – (Burnley/ Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Burnley’s replacement for Nick Pope last season, and promotion-winning goalkeeper, Muric has found himself out of favour with Vincent Kompany following their title-winning promotion season.
Instead, 15 Million pound 21-year-old signing from Man City, James Trafford has the number 1 spot. Muric hasn’t made a single appearance yet but can take some solace in the fact that he is a centimetre taller than him.
Wayne Hennessey – 198cm – 6ft 6in – Goalkeeper – (Nottingham Forest/Wales)
Wayne Hennessey is a Premier League veteran who plays 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.
Jordan Amissah – 198cm – 6ft 6in – Goalkeeper – (Sheffield United/Ghana)
Another freshly promoted player, Amissah was born in Germany to Ghanaian parents.
Currently playing for Sheffield United, The Blades signed Amissah from Borussia Dortmund’s academy as a 17-year-old in 2018. Since then he has been shipped out multiple times on loan but is currently back in Sheffield for the season.
He has only ever made one appearance for Sheffield, coming on for 12 minutes after an injury to Wes Foderingham last year.
Robert Sánchez – 197cm – 6ft 5.6in – Goalkeeper – (Chelsea/Spain)
Robert Sanchez is a Spanish keeper currently playing for Chelsea in The Premier League.
Sanchez previously played for Brighton, joining them at the age of 15 and working his way through the youth set-up. 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, before later ousting compatriot Kepa Arrizabalaga from the number 1 spot at Chelsea.
Tyrone Mings – 196cm – 6ft 5in – Defender – (Aston Villa/England)
Finally another outfielder. Mings has been an integral part of an Aston Villa side that has grown and grown since their promotion back to the Premier League in 2019.
He signed for Villa after impressing in their promotion season while on loan from Bournemouth.
Somewhat of a late bloomer, he has worked his way into Gareth Southgate’s England set-up despite having only played more than 10 games in a Premier League season for the first time at 27.
He has fallen out of favour this season, with Unai Emery favouring Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos in the middle and Lucas Digne at Left-back.
Kieffer Moore – 196cm – 6ft 5in – Striker – (Bournemouth/Wales)
Ending on a towering striker, Kieffer Moore is a real handful for defenders, standing taller than most he comes up against. He signed for Bournemouth in the January 2022 window for 4 million from Cardiff and as of writing boasts 12 goals in 40 appearences for Wales.
At club level he hasn’t fared brilliantly, scoring just 8 in 41 games for Bournemouth since joining.
However, he wasn’t helped by a dreadfully unlucky start to life in the south of England.
Moore broke his foot just 3 minutes into his debut, missing all but the final 4 games of his first season at Bournemouth. He would make up for some lost time, scoring 4 goals in these final 4 games, but failed to carry this form into the Prem. Last year, in his fledgling top-flight season, Moore only scored 4 times in 27 league appearences.
So far this year, Moore has played 5 and failed to find the net.
Other players that are also 1.96m tall this season are Charlie Goode (Brentford), Robin Olsen (Aston Villa), Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham Football Club) 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 (6f6 feet 4 inches This makes him the 17th tallest player this season, making Erling Harland the third tallest forward currently playing in the EPL.
When first assessed during his City medical a season and a half ago, he claimed he had gotten 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)
Joe Carter 178cm – Forward – (West Bromwich Albion/England)
Some observations stick out when we compare the tallest football players in English soccer 100 years apart. Firstly, the height of the tallest players in the top division of the English division has significantly increased over the last 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 2023.
For example, the 2023/24 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 2023/24 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.
After 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 centre-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 centre-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
Carvalho Leite 191cm – Forward – Brazil
Domingo Tejera 189cm – Defender – Uruguay
Enrique Ballestrero 188cm – Goalkeeper – Uruguay
Enrique Ballestrero 188cm – Goalkeeper – Uruguay
Jimmy Douglas 186cm – Goalkeeper – USA
Jimmy Douglas 186cm – Goalkeeper – USA
Ernesto Mascheroni 185cm – Defender – Uruguay
Jacques Moeschal 184cm – Forward – Belgium
Jim Brown 183cm – Forward – USA
Mario De las Casas 182cm – Defender – Peru
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 centimetres.
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’s 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 2024
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.
