The tallest football players of all time include giant goalkeepers, target forwards, and even centre-backs who stand well above the average professional footballer. Danish goalkeeper Simon Bloch Jørgensen leads our verified list at 210 cm, while Belgian goalkeeper Kristof Van Hout and Scottish striker Paul Millar follow at 208 cm. Several other professionals have been officially listed between 205 and 206 cm.
FootballerRank uses verified or strongly documented senior-player heights rather than copying unconfirmed internet claims. We prioritize official clubs, leagues, federations, competition records, and established player databases. Heights can still vary by one or two centimetres between sources, so we explain major discrepancies instead of pretending every measurement is perfectly universal. Using that method, Simon Bloch Jørgensen is the tallest documented professional footballer in our ranking.
Key Takeaways
- Simon Bloch Jørgensen ranks as the tallest verified professional footballer at 210 cm.
- Kristof Van Hout and Paul Millar are tied at 208 cm.
- Tomáš Holý, Kjell Scherpen, Kyle Hudlin, and Isaak Touré are all listed at 206 cm.
- Yang Changpeng, Vanja Iveša, and Dino Hodžić complete the Top 10 at 205 cm.
- Goalkeepers dominate the ranking because extra height can increase reach and penalty-area presence.
- Height listings can differ between sources, so FootballerRank uses the strongest available documented measurement.
Top 10 Tallest Football Players of All Time
| Rank | Player | Country | Height | Approx. Imperial | Position |
| 1 | Simon Bloch Jørgensen | Denmark | 210 cm | 6 ft 11 in | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Kristof Van Hout | Belgium | 208 cm | 6 ft 10 in | Goalkeeper |
| 3 | Paul Millar | Scotland | 208 cm | 6 ft 10 in | Centre-Forward |
| 4 | Tomáš Holý | Czech Republic | 206 cm | 6 ft 9 in | Goalkeeper |
| 5 | Kjell Scherpen | Netherlands | 206 cm | 6 ft 9 in | Goalkeeper |
| 6 | Kyle Hudlin | England | 206 cm | 6 ft 9 in | Centre-Forward |
| 7 | Isaak Touré | France | 206 cm | 6 ft 9 in | Centre-Back |
| 8 | Yang Changpeng | China | 205 cm | 6 ft 9 in | Centre-Forward |
| 9 | Vanja Iveša | Croatia | 205 cm | 6 ft 9 in | Goalkeeper |
| 10 | Dino Hodžić | Croatia | 205 cm | 6 ft 9 in | Goalkeeper |
Imperial heights are rounded. Some databases differ by one or two centimetres, especially for older or less globally documented players.
Who Is the Tallest Football Player of All Time?
Simon Bloch Jørgensen is the tallest documented professional footballer in our ranking at 210 cm.
That is approximately:
6 feet 11 inches
Jørgensen is a goalkeeper.
His senior career included football in Denmark and England.
He played for clubs including:
- B.93
- Frem
- Brønshøj
- Accrington Stanley
- Whitehawk
- Dulwich Hamlet
His height was not simply an estimate copied from one database.
B.93’s own historical player profile recorded his latest measurement as 210 cm.
Dulwich Hamlet later described him as the world’s tallest footballer when announcing his signing.
That gives his No. 1 position stronger documentation than many other extreme-height claims found online.
Why Is It Hard to Identify the Tallest Footballer Ever?
Because professional football does not maintain one global historical height database.
Player measurements can come from:
- Clubs
- Federations
- Leagues
- Competition registrations
- Statistical databases
- Media guides
Those sources do not always agree.
A player may be listed at:
205 cm on one profile
and:
207 cm somewhere else
There are several reasons for that.
Height can be:
- Rounded
- Measured at different ages
- Converted badly between centimetres and feet
- Entered incorrectly into databases
- Copied from another source
FootballerRank therefore gives greater weight to reliable competition, club, federation, and established database records.
Why We Do Not Automatically Trust “Tallest Player” Lists?
Many online lists include names with very little evidence.
Some players may have:
- No verified senior appearances
- Only amateur football
- No reliable height source
- A height copied repeatedly from another unsourced article
That creates a problem.
A claim such as:
“This player is 213 cm”
looks impressive.
But without a documented professional career or reliable measurement, it should not automatically outrank a player whose 210 cm height is supported by his club.
This article therefore focuses on verified professional footballers.
1. Simon Bloch Jørgensen — 210 cm
Country: Denmark
Height: 210 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 11 in
Position: Goalkeeper
Simon Bloch Jørgensen ranks first.
His height is extraordinary even for a goalkeeper.
At 210 cm, he stands:
- 4 cm taller than a 206 cm player
- 7 cm taller than a 203 cm player
- Around 20–25 cm taller than many professional outfield players
His height naturally gives him an enormous frame in goal.
Potential advantages include:
- Reach toward the top corners
- High-ball coverage
- Cross collection
- Set-piece presence
- Making the goal appear smaller
However, extreme goalkeeper height is not automatically an advantage in every situation.
Very tall keepers still need:
- Fast footwork
- Low diving speed
- Balance
- Reactions
- Positioning
- Distribution
Jørgensen played senior football for B.93 and Frem in Denmark before later moving through English football.
Accrington Stanley signed him in 2017.
He later appeared for Whitehawk and Dulwich Hamlet.
Dulwich explicitly promoted him as the world’s tallest footballer.
Is Simon Bloch Jørgensen Really 210 cm?
Yes, the 210 cm figure has direct club support.
B.93 recorded him at that measurement in its player history.
That makes the claim much stronger than a height appearing only in an anonymous ranking article.
Height status: 210 cm — No. 1 in our verified ranking.
2. Kristof Van Hout — 208 cm
Country: Belgium
Height: 208 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 10 in
Position: Goalkeeper
Kristof Van Hout is one of the best-documented giant footballers in history.
UEFA officially listed him at:
208 cm
during his time with Standard Liège.
UEFA even described him as being believed to be the tallest player in its club competitions at the time.
Van Hout’s career included:
- Willem II
- Kortrijk
- Standard Liège
- Genk
- Delhi Dynamos
- Westerlo
- Lommel
He therefore has a much stronger top-level senior career than many players commonly included on extreme-height lists.
Van Hout’s Goalkeeping Career
Van Hout became a first-choice goalkeeper during parts of his Belgian career.
He also experienced European football.
His size gave him obvious reach.
At 208 cm, he could cover an extraordinary amount of goal space.
Still, as with every giant goalkeeper, height alone did not guarantee elite status.
Modern goalkeeping depends heavily on movement and decision-making.
Height status: 208 cm — joint second.
3. Paul Millar — 208 cm
Country: Scotland
Height: 208 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 10 in
Position: Centre-Forward
Paul Millar is the highest-ranked outfield player on our list.
That distinction is important.
Most extreme-height footballers are goalkeepers.
Millar played as a forward.
He is documented at:
208 cm
His best-known senior period came with Elgin City in Scottish football.
Millar also played for:
- Formartine United
- Deveronvale
His size naturally made him a target-forward option.
What Does a 208 cm Striker Offer?
A forward of Millar’s height can create unusual tactical problems.
Potential advantages include:
- Heading
- Long-ball targets
- Back-post crosses
- Set pieces
- Holding off defenders
- Knockdowns
But football is not played only in the air.
A tall striker still needs:
- Movement
- Finishing
- Touch
- Balance
- Timing
Millar’s professional career makes him particularly relevant to this page because he was not simply an amateur giant who happened to play football.
He competed in senior Scottish league football.
Height status: 208 cm — joint second and tallest outfield player in our verified Top 10.
4. Tomáš Holý — 206 cm
Country: Czech Republic
Height: 206 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 9 in
Position: Goalkeeper
Tomáš Holý is one of the most recognizable very tall goalkeepers in English lower-league football.
He is officially listed around:
206 cm
Gillingham described him as a six-foot-nine goalkeeper when he signed.
His senior career included:
- Sparta Prague
- Viktoria Žižkov
- Gillingham
- Ipswich Town
- Carlisle United
Holý made more than 100 appearances for Gillingham.
That gives him a substantial professional record.
His height created obvious advantages when dealing with:
- Crosses
- High balls
- Corners
- Direct football
But Holý also needed enough mobility to play regularly in English football.
That is important.
A goalkeeper cannot survive professionally through height alone.
Height status: 206 cm — joint fourth.
5. Kjell Scherpen — 206 cm
Country: Netherlands
Height: 206 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 9 in
Position: Goalkeeper
Kjell Scherpen is one of the tallest active or recently active elite-level goalkeepers.
Official league records list him at:
206 cm
His career has included:
- FC Emmen
- Ajax
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Oostende
- Vitesse
- Sturm Graz
- Union Saint-Gilloise
Scherpen also appeared in European competition.
His progression shows that extreme height is compatible with modern buildup requirements when the goalkeeper is technically developed.
Why Scherpen Is More Than Just Height?
Modern coaches need goalkeepers who can:
- Pass under pressure
- Sweep behind the defence
- Control crosses
- Restart attacks
- Defend one-on-ones
Scherpen’s career at Ajax and Brighton-related clubs placed him inside environments where distribution mattered.
He later enjoyed major success at Sturm Graz.
That makes him one of the most accomplished players in this Top 10.
Height status: 206 cm — joint fourth.
6. Kyle Hudlin — 206 cm
Country: England
Height: 206 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 9 in
Position: Centre-Forward
Kyle Hudlin is another rare giant outfield player.
He is listed at:
206 cm
Unlike most of the ranking, Hudlin is a striker.
His career includes:
- Solihull Moors
- Huddersfield Town
- AFC Wimbledon
- Burton Albion
- Newport County
- Nam Định
Hudlin attracted attention partly because a striker of his height is unusual even in English football.
How Hudlin Uses His Height?
His frame makes him naturally useful for:
- Aerial duels
- Crosses
- Long passes
- Set pieces
- Holding the ball
- Occupying centre-backs
A defence facing Hudlin may need to change how it deals with direct passes.
Sending a smaller full-back or midfielder into an aerial duel against a 206 cm striker creates an obvious mismatch.
Still, professional strikers need more than physical size.
Hudlin has had to combine his height with movement and finishing to earn senior opportunities.
Height status: 206 cm — joint fourth.
7. Isaak Touré — 206 cm
Country: France
Height: 206 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 9 in
Position: Centre-Back
Isaak Touré is one of the tallest defenders to play at a high professional level.
The French Football Federation officially lists him at:
206 cm
That makes him one of the strongest verified entries in the ranking.
His career has included:
- Le Havre
- Marseille
- Auxerre
- Lorient
- Udinese
Touré has also represented France at youth international level.
Why 206 cm Is Extraordinary for a Centre-Back?
Centre-backs are generally among football’s taller outfield players.
Even so, 206 cm is extreme.
His height can help with:
- Defensive headers
- Corners
- Back-post defending
- Long balls
- Set-piece attacking
At the same time, a defender of this size may be tested by quick forwards.
Opponents may try to expose:
- Turning speed
- Acceleration
- Changes of direction
That means Touré’s positioning becomes just as important as his physical frame.
Height status: 206 cm — joint fourth and tallest verified defender in our Top 10.
8. Yang Changpeng — 205 cm
Country: China
Height used by FootballerRank: 205 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 9 in
Position: Centre-Forward
Yang Changpeng became internationally known partly because of his extreme height.
He was even nicknamed:
China’s Peter Crouch
during a trial period in England.
His career included Chinese clubs such as:
- Wuhan
- Chengdu Blades
- Meizhou Hakka
- Henan Jianye
Reliable major statistical databases list him at:
205 cm
However, this is a good example of why height research needs care.
Some secondary sources have listed Yang closer to 207 cm.
FootballerRank uses 205 because that figure is supported consistently by stronger current football databases.
Why We Do Not Use the Largest Published Number?
Choosing 207 simply because it moves Yang higher would damage the methodology.
When sources disagree, the correct approach is to:
- Compare source quality
- Prefer professional databases or official records
- Note the disagreement
That is what we do here.
Height status: 205 cm under our verified methodology.
9. Vanja Iveša — 205 cm
Country: Croatia
Height: 205 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 9 in
Position: Goalkeeper
Vanja Iveša had one of the longest senior careers among the giant goalkeepers on this page.
He is listed at:
205 cm
His career included football in:
- Croatia
- Turkey
- Australia
Clubs included:
- Rijeka
- Slaven Belupo
- Eskişehirspor
- Elazığspor
- Istra 1961
- Opatija
He made well over 100 senior appearances in Turkey alone.
That makes his professional record easy to verify.
Iveša’s Career Longevity
Iveša continued playing at an unusually advanced age.
He became one of the oldest players to appear in Croatia’s top flight.
His height and experience made him a commanding penalty-area goalkeeper.
At 205 cm, he naturally had the reach to challenge high crosses.
His longevity proves another important point:
Extreme height does not automatically reduce a player’s ability to sustain a professional career.
Height status: 205 cm — joint eighth.
10. Dino Hodžić — 205 cm
Country: Croatia
Height: 205 cm
Approximate height: 6 ft 9 in
Position: Goalkeeper
Dino Hodžić completes the Top 10.
He is documented at:
205 cm
Hodžić played senior football in Denmark and Iceland.
His career included:
- FC Fredericia
- Vejle-related football
- ÍA Akranes
His first-team sample was much smaller than the careers of Van Hout, Scherpen, or Iveša.
However, he still meets our basic qualification:
A documented senior professional career with a credible 205 cm listed height.
That is stronger evidence than many unsourced names circulating on generic tallest-footballer pages.
Height status: 205 cm — joint eighth.
Who Is the Tallest Goalkeeper in Football History?
Simon Bloch Jørgensen is the tallest goalkeeper in our verified professional ranking at:
210 cm
Behind him:
- Kristof Van Hout — 208 cm
- Tomáš Holý — 206 cm
- Kjell Scherpen — 206 cm
- Vanja Iveša — 205 cm
- Dino Hodžić — 205 cm
Goalkeepers dominate this ranking.
That is not surprising.
Height has more direct positional benefits for goalkeepers than for most outfield roles.
Who Is the Tallest Outfield Football Player?
Paul Millar ranks highest among the outfield players in our verified list.
He stands:
208 cm
and played as a centre-forward.
Other extreme-height outfield players include:
- Kyle Hudlin — 206 cm
- Isaak Touré — 206 cm
- Yang Changpeng — 205 cm
Millar is therefore around two centimetres taller than Hudlin and Touré.
Who Is the Tallest Defender?
Isaak Touré is the tallest verified defender in our Top 10 at:
206 cm
That makes him equal in height to several giant goalkeepers and Kyle Hudlin.
Touré’s height is especially unusual because top-level centre-backs are normally tall but rarely exceed 200 cm.
Are Goalkeepers Usually the Tallest Players?
Yes, goalkeepers are often among a team’s tallest players.
The reason is simple.
Greater height can provide:
- Longer reach
- Better high-ball coverage
- Greater cross-catching radius
- More physical presence
A goalkeeper who is 200 cm tall can reach areas of the goal more easily than a much shorter goalkeeper.
But height alone does not determine goalkeeping quality.
Some of the greatest goalkeepers in history were not among the tallest.
Is Being Extremely Tall Always an Advantage in Football?
No.
Height creates strengths and weaknesses.
Possible advantages
Very tall players can benefit in:
- Aerial duels
- Headers
- Corners
- Goalkeeping reach
- Long-ball play
- Physical challenges
Possible disadvantages
Extreme height can sometimes make it harder to develop:
- Low centre of gravity
- Rapid turning
- Explosive acceleration
- Quick low saves
- Close dribbling
Individual athleticism matters more than height alone.
A 206 cm player can still be agile.
A 180 cm player can still dominate aerially through timing and jumping.
Does Height Matter More for Goalkeepers?
Generally, yes.
A goalkeeper has a fixed goal measuring:
7.32 metres wide and 2.44 metres high
A taller goalkeeper naturally starts with greater physical reach.
However, the goalkeeper still needs:
- Reactions
- Positioning
- Footwork
- Timing
- Handling
A very tall goalkeeper who moves slowly can still be beaten.
Elite goalkeeping is a combination of reach and movement.
Does Height Matter for Strikers?
It can.
A tall striker can create tactical advantages through:
- Headers
- Holding possession
- Knockdowns
- Back-post attacks
- Set pieces
Paul Millar, Kyle Hudlin, and Yang Changpeng are examples of extreme-height forwards.
But some of football’s greatest strikers were much shorter.
Height is a tactical attribute, not a measure of overall quality.
Why Peter Crouch Is Not in the Top 10
Peter Crouch is famous for being tall.
He stood around:
201 cm
That is enormous by normal football standards.
It is still too short for this Top 10.
Every player here is at least:
205 cm
Crouch therefore misses the ranking by around four centimetres.
His career was far more successful than most players on this list, which demonstrates again that:
tallest does not mean best.
Why Costel Pantilimon Is Not Included
Costel Pantilimon stands:
203 cm
He was one of the tallest goalkeepers in Premier League history.
His career included:
- Manchester City
- Sunderland
- Watford
- Nottingham Forest
- Romania
However, he is two centimetres below the current 205 cm cutoff for this Top 10.
Why Lacina Traoré Is Not Included
Lacina Traoré is another famous giant.
He stands:
203 cm
The Ivory Coast forward played for clubs including:
- CFR Cluj
- Anzhi
- Monaco
- Everton
- CSKA Moscow
His height made him one of the tallest major-league forwards of his era.
He still misses our Top 10 because the verified cutoff is currently 205 cm.
Why Tor Hogne Aarøy Is Not Included
Norwegian striker Tor Hogne Aarøy stood:
204 cm
He had a long senior career, particularly with Aalesund.
He is one of the strongest near-misses.
Aarøy would enter the ranking immediately if one of the current 205 cm entries failed our future verification review.
Other Very Tall Professional Footballers
Several players sit just below the Top 10.
| Player | Height | Position |
| Tor Hogne Aarøy | 204 cm | Forward |
| Žarko Marković | 204 cm | Defender |
| Costel Pantilimon | 203 cm | Goalkeeper |
| Lacina Traoré | 203 cm | Forward |
| Mikkel Mena Qvist | 203 cm | Defender/Midfielder |
| Andries Noppert | About 203 cm | Goalkeeper |
These are still exceptionally tall professional footballers.
Tallest Players by Position
Tallest goalkeeper
Simon Bloch Jørgensen — 210 cm
Tallest striker
Paul Millar — 208 cm
Tallest defender
Isaak Touré — 206 cm
These position records are based on the verified players included in this FootballerRank research set.
They should be updated if stronger evidence emerges for another professional player.
Is Simon Bloch Jørgensen Taller Than Kristof Van Hout?
Yes.
Our documented figures are:
| Player | Height |
| Simon Bloch Jørgensen | 210 cm |
| Kristof Van Hout | 208 cm |
| Difference | 2 cm |
Van Hout was long described as one of the world’s tallest professional footballers.
Jørgensen’s documented 210 cm measurement places him above the Belgian.
Is Paul Millar Really 208 cm?
Major football databases list him at:
208 cm
Millar’s senior career with Elgin City is also documented.
That combination qualifies him for the ranking.
He is unusual because most players above 205 cm are goalkeepers.
Millar was a centre-forward.
Is Isaak Touré 206 cm?
Yes.
The French Football Federation officially lists Touré at:
206 cm
That gives his measurement particularly strong source quality.
He is therefore one of the most securely verified players in the entire ranking.
Why Height Measurements Can Change
A footballer’s listed height can change for simple reasons.
A young player may still grow.
An early academy profile might say:
203 cm
while an adult senior profile later says:
206 cm
Other differences happen because feet and inches are converted poorly.
For example:
6 ft 9 in is approximately:
205.7 cm
One database might round that to 205.
Another might use 206.
FootballerRank prioritizes the original metric listing when available.
Centimetres vs Feet and Inches
Height conversions are approximate.
Common extreme football heights include:
| Centimetres | Approximate Imperial |
| 210 cm | 6 ft 11 in |
| 208 cm | 6 ft 10 in |
| 206 cm | 6 ft 9 in |
| 205 cm | 6 ft 9 in |
| 204 cm | 6 ft 8 in |
| 203 cm | 6 ft 8 in |
The difference between 205 and 206 cm may disappear when both are rounded to feet and inches.
That is why centimetres provide the clearer ranking.
Tallest Does Not Mean Greatest
This page ranks one physical measurement:
height
It does not evaluate:
- Skill
- Career success
- Trophies
- Goals
- Goalkeeping ability
- International level
For example, Peter Crouch is shorter than all ten players in this table.
His top-level career was more accomplished than most of them.
Similarly, elite goalkeepers such as Manuel Neuer, Gianluigi Buffon, and Iker Casillas do not need to be 205 cm tall to rank among football’s greatest.
This distinction keeps the article separate from FootballerRank’s Best Players and Best Goalkeepers rankings.
Why This Page Does Not Cannibalize Tallest Current Players
FootballerRank should not create a separate “Tallest Football Players Right Now” page at this stage.
Height is mostly a stable physical record.
The all-time article can include active and retired players together.
Creating another nearly identical current-height page would create unnecessary search overlap.
If future Google Search Console data shows strong independent current-player intent, we can reconsider.
For now, this single URL should own:
- tallest football players
- tallest soccer players
- tallest footballer ever
- tallest professional football player
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the tallest football player of all time?
Simon Bloch Jørgensen ranks first in our verified professional list at 210 cm, approximately 6 ft 11 in.
How tall is Simon Bloch Jørgensen?
He is documented at 210 cm.
Who is the second tallest footballer?
Kristof Van Hout and Paul Millar are tied at 208 cm.
Who is the tallest goalkeeper ever?
Simon Bloch Jørgensen is the tallest verified goalkeeper in this ranking at 210 cm.
Who is the tallest outfield football player?
Paul Millar ranks highest among our verified outfield players at 208 cm.
Who is the tallest defender?
Isaak Touré is listed at 206 cm by the French Football Federation.
How tall is Kristof Van Hout?
UEFA listed Van Hout at 208 cm.
How tall is Tomáš Holý?
Holý is approximately 206 cm, or around 6 ft 9 in.
How tall is Kjell Scherpen?
Official league records list Scherpen at 206 cm.
How tall is Kyle Hudlin?
Hudlin is listed at 206 cm.
How tall is Yang Changpeng?
FootballerRank uses 205 cm based on major statistical databases, although some secondary sources report a taller figure.
Was Peter Crouch one of the tallest footballers ever?
Yes, but he does not make this Top 10. At about 201 cm, he is shorter than every player in our current list.
Is Costel Pantilimon in the Top 10?
No. He stands around 203 cm, which is below the current 205 cm cutoff.
Are most of the tallest players goalkeepers?
Yes. Goalkeepers are heavily represented because height can directly improve reach and high-ball coverage.
Does being taller make a goalkeeper better?
Not automatically. Positioning, reactions, footwork, handling, and decision-making remain essential.
Why do different websites show different player heights?
Measurements may come from different ages, rounding methods, database errors, or inaccurate conversions between metric and imperial units.
Does FootballerRank include amateur players?
The main ranking prioritizes documented senior professional footballers. Poorly sourced amateur claims are not used simply because the reported height is extreme.
How often should this page be updated?
This article should be checked when a newly documented professional player of 205 cm or taller enters senior football or when official height records are revised.
Sources and Fact-Checking Method
FootballerRank treats height as a measurable physical record.
However, there is no FIFA-maintained historical list of every professional footballer’s height.
We therefore prioritize:
- Official clubs
- National federations
- Official leagues
- UEFA and competition records
- Established statistical databases
- Documented senior career records
Players must have a traceable senior football career.
Extreme but unverified internet claims do not automatically qualify.
When sources disagree, we prefer stronger records and note the discrepancy.
That is why Yang Changpeng is listed at 205 cm rather than automatically using a larger secondary figure.
Centimetres are used for the main ranking because imperial rounding can place players of different exact heights into the same feet-and-inches measurement.
This keeps Tallest Football Players of All Time focused on a verified physical record rather than repeating unsupported claims.
Conclusion
Simon Bloch Jørgensen ranks as the tallest football player of all time in FootballerRank’s verified professional list at 210 cm, followed by Kristof Van Hout and Paul Millar at 208 cm. Tomáš Holý, Kjell Scherpen, Kyle Hudlin, and Isaak Touré form an extraordinary four-player group at 206 cm, while Yang Changpeng, Vanja Iveša, and Dino Hodžić complete the Top 10 at 205 cm. Goalkeepers dominate because height has direct positional value through greater reach and penalty-area presence, but this ranking measures only documented physical height—not football ability, career success, or overall greatness.
