Simon Bloch Jørgensen leads our list of the tallest football players of all time at a documented 210 cm. Kristof Van Hout and Paul Millar follow at 208 cm. Millar is the tallest outfield player in this selection, while Isaak Touré is the tallest defender at 206 cm. The list includes active and retired senior men’s association football players.
Extreme height claims often mix club records, rounded conversions and figures copied without a source. This 2026 edition uses named records and explains where the evidence differs. It ranks listed height rather than football ability. Jørgensen has the highest supported figure in our checked selection, but this is not a worldwide measurement register or an official FIFA record certification.
Key Takeaways
- Jørgensen’s 210 cm figure has direct support from B.93’s historical player profile.
- Van Hout and Millar share second place at 208 cm under the selected records.
- Holý, Scherpen, Hudlin and Touré share fourth place at 206 cm.
- Yang Changpeng is listed at 205 cm here, with higher reports clearly flagged as disputed.
- Equal centimetre figures receive equal ranks; names within a tied group are not ranked by skill.
- A published height is a source record, rather than proof that every player was measured under identical conditions.
The Top 10 Tallest Football Players
| Rank | Player | Country | Height | Position | Height source |
| 1 | Simon Bloch Jørgensen | Denmark | 210 cm | Goalkeeper | B.93 club history |
| 2 | Kristof Van Hout | Belgium | 208 cm | Goalkeeper | UEFA and Indian Super League |
| 3 | Paul Millar | Scotland | 208 cm | Forward | Transfermarkt |
| 4 | Tomáš Holý | Czech Republic | 206 cm | Goalkeeper | Transfermarkt; Gillingham gives 6 ft 9 in |
| 5 | Kjell Scherpen | Netherlands | 206 cm | Goalkeeper | Austrian Bundesliga |
| 6 | Kyle Hudlin | England | 206 cm* | Forward | Huddersfield gives 6 ft 9 in |
| 7 | Isaak Touré | France | 206 cm | Defender | French Football Federation and Udinese |
| 8 | Yang Changpeng | China | 205 cm† | Forward | Worldfootball.net and Transfermarkt |
| 9 | Vanja Iveša | Croatia | 205 cm | Goalkeeper | FBref and Sofascore |
| 10 | Dino Hodžić | Croatia | 205 cm | Goalkeeper | Global Sports Archive and Transfermarkt |
Hudlin’s club-published 6 ft 9 in converts to 205.74 cm, rounded here to 206 cm. †Yang’s 205 cm database listing conflicts with reports of 206 and 207 cm. His exact place is less certain than the table alone might suggest.
Scope and Height Method
The selection covers men with a traceable senior club career, including football below the leading full-time leagues. A senior appearance in a professional league can qualify a player with a small first-team sample. We do not claim that every club listed, or every period of a player’s career, involved full-time employment.
Club, federation, league and competition records take priority when they supply a clear height. Established databases provide supporting evidence or the main listing when a suitable official metric profile is unavailable. The source column shows which route supports each entry, rather than calling every number an official measurement.
Centimetres determine the order. Equal figures share a rank using competition ranking: two players at second mean that the next place is fourth. The three entries at 205 cm share eighth. They are ten selected players, not proof that nobody else in football history has matched that final height.
Where records disagree, we identify the selected figure and the uncertainty. We do not average conflicting heights or choose the largest number to improve a player’s place. A revised primary record could change the order, especially where the difference is only one centimetre.
1. Simon Bloch Jørgensen at 210 cm
The Danish goalkeeper has the strongest claim to first place in this checked selection. B.93’s historical profile says his latest measurement was 210 cm. It also records his first-team involvement, giving the height a direct connection to an identifiable senior player.
His career included B.93 and Frem in Denmark, followed by English clubs including Accrington Stanley, Whitehawk and Dulwich Hamlet. Dulwich’s signing announcement described him as 6 ft 10½ in and promoted him as the world’s tallest footballer. That is useful club evidence, although a signing announcement is not independent global record certification.
The two descriptions are close rather than mathematically identical: 6 ft 10½ in equals 209.55 cm. We use the original 210 cm metric figure from B.93. His height gives him a large frame in goal, but says nothing by itself about reactions, footwork or the level of his career.
2. Joint Second Kristof Van Hout at 208 cm
Van Hout has particularly clear competition evidence. UEFA’s Champions League handbook listed the Belgian goalkeeper at 208 cm during his Standard Liège period. The Indian Super League also gives 208 cm on his player profile.
His senior career included Belgian clubs such as Kortrijk, Standard, Genk and Westerlo, as well as Delhi Dynamos in India. Those records make him easier to identify than a name appearing only on an unsourced list of unusually tall players.
At the selected heights, he is two centimetres below Jørgensen and level with Millar. UEFA’s historical description of him as a possible tallest player in its club competitions applies to that competition context and period. It should not be turned into a permanent worldwide title.
3. Joint Second Paul Millar at 208 cm
Millar is the highest-listed outfield player in this selection. Transfermarkt records the Scottish centre-forward at 2.08 metres, equivalent to 208 cm. His senior career is most closely associated with Elgin City, with later football at Formartine United and Deveronvale.
His source status differs from Van Hout’s. The 208 cm figure used here comes from an established player database, rather than a checked federation measurement sheet. We retain it with that distinction visible instead of describing both entries as equally strong official records.
A forward of this height can offer a target for crosses and direct passes. Winning the header still depends on movement, timing and delivery. Millar’s position gives this list variety, but being the tallest listed striker does not mean he was its best footballer.
4. Joint Fourth Tomáš Holý at 206 cm
Holý’s 206 cm listing is supported by Transfermarkt, while Gillingham’s signing announcement described him as six-foot-nine. That imperial figure converts to 205.74 cm and agrees with 206 cm when rounded to the nearest centimetre.
The Czech goalkeeper’s career included Gillingham, Ipswich Town and Carlisle United after his development in Czech football. His senior record places him firmly within the scope of this article. There is no need to rely on photographs or estimates from teammates standing beside him.
We use 206 cm as his listed height rather than claiming precision beyond the sources. His role also shows why height can attract interest in a goalkeeper: high crosses become easier to reach, provided the player reads the flight and moves into position in time.
5. Joint Fourth Kjell Scherpen at 206 cm
The Austrian Bundesliga’s profile gives Scherpen’s height as 206 cm and identifies him as a Dutch goalkeeper. That league record supplies a direct metric source for his place, avoiding the need to infer a number from a rounded English description.
His career has included Emmen, Ajax, Brighton-related loan moves and Sturm Graz. The Austrian record is linked to his time with Sturm, so it remains useful historical evidence even if his club changes.
6. Joint Fourth Kyle Hudlin at 206 cm
Hudlin is an English forward whose Huddersfield signing announcement described him as 6 ft 9 in. That converts to 205.74 cm. The table uses 206 cm as the rounded metric equivalent, and the footnote explains that conversion.
His senior football has included Solihull Moors, Huddersfield and loan spells with English clubs. The Huddersfield announcement placed him in its B team initially, so that signing alone should not be described as proof of regular first-team Championship football.
His height can make him a useful target against smaller defenders, especially for crosses and direct passes. That is a potential tactical benefit rather than proof that he wins every aerial duel.
7. Joint Fourth Isaak Touré at 206 cm
Touré’s French Football Federation profile lists 206 cm. Udinese’s signing announcement also explicitly gave 206 cm when he joined on loan. Two identifiable official sources therefore support the selected figure.
His club career has included Le Havre, Marseille, Auxerre, Lorient and Udinese. The FFF records his France youth international involvement. Youth national-team appearances and senior club football are different records; his inclusion here rests on his senior club career.
At 206 cm, he is the tallest defender among these ten players. He can use that reach when defending crosses or attacking set pieces, but positioning and timing still matter. Height alone does not establish how quickly a defender turns or how well he handles space behind the line.
8. Joint Eighth Yang Changpeng at 205 cm
Yang requires the clearest caution in the list. Worldfootball.net and Transfermarkt list the Chinese forward at 205 cm. Sofascore also gives that height. We use 205 cm to keep the table tied to identifiable database records.
The disagreement goes beyond a vague online rumour. Chinese reporting has described him at 206 cm, while a Sohu report said his league registration listed 207 cm. We have not independently recovered that original registration sheet, so the report remains evidence of a discrepancy rather than a settled replacement measurement.
If 207 cm were adopted, Yang would move above the 206 cm group. Under the selected 205 cm record he shares eighth. His senior career is documented, including Chinese league football with Henan Jianye, but a clear career record does not resolve conflicting height listings. His placement should be read as provisional.
9. Joint Eighth Vanja Iveša at 205 cm
FBref and Sofascore list Iveša at 205 cm. His senior career included clubs in Croatia and Turkey, with spells at Rijeka, Slaven Belupo, Eskişehirspor, Elazığspor and Istra 1961. The Turkish federation also maintains an identifiable player record.
His Croatian and Turkish club records make his senior career easy to trace. The matching height listings support 205 cm, although agreement between databases does not establish that separate physical measurements took place.
10. Joint Eighth Dino Hodžić at 205 cm
Global Sports Archive and Transfermarkt list Hodžić at 205 cm. Global Sports Archive also records senior appearances for Fredericia in Denmark and ÍA Akranes in Iceland. That supplies actual playing evidence instead of relying only on a squad membership.
His first-team sample is smaller than that of several other goalkeepers in this list. The entry still meets the stated scope because this is a physical-record selection, not a ranking of workload or career success. We avoid describing him as a regular top-flight starter.
Centimetres and Feet and Inches
One inch equals exactly 2.54 cm. We retain centimetres for ranking and show imperial equivalents below to one decimal place. The extra decimal explains why two players can both be casually described as six-foot-nine while their metric listings differ.
| Listed height | Approximate imperial equivalent |
| 210 cm | 6 ft 10.7 in |
| 208 cm | 6 ft 9.9 in |
| 206 cm | 6 ft 9.1 in |
| 205 cm | 6 ft 8.7 in |
| 204 cm | 6 ft 8.3 in |
| 203 cm | 6 ft 7.9 in |
| 201 cm | 6 ft 7.1 in |
Rounding 210 cm to the nearest whole inch gives 6 ft 11 in. Rounding 205 cm and 206 cm gives 6 ft 9 in in both cases. Neither result changes the underlying metric listing. Converting a rounded figure back into centimetres cannot recover a more precise original measurement.
What Height Can and Cannot Tell Us?
Six of the ten selected players are goalkeepers. A larger frame can help cover the goal and reach crosses, but standing height is only one part of reach. Arm length, jumping, positioning and the time available to react also affect the result.
Forwards may benefit when contesting direct passes, attacking the back post or providing a target at set pieces. Defenders can use height to challenge high balls. In both roles, reading the play and moving early can matter as much as the difference between 205 and 206 cm.
We do not infer a player’s speed, balance or injury risk from height alone. Nor does the table measure skill. A shorter player can have a much stronger career than a taller one, and a goalkeeper does not need to appear here to be among the best in the sport.
For a comparison based on playing quality, see our best goalkeepers of all time ranking.
Why Some Famous Tall Players Miss the Selection?
Peter Crouch is widely listed at about 201 cm, while Costel Pantilimon and Lacina Traoré are commonly listed at 203 cm. Tor Hogne Aarøy is documented at 204 cm, including in an official FK Ørn Horten article. Those figures fall below this selection’s 205 cm final group.
They remain unusually tall footballers. Their exclusion says nothing about the quality of their careers. We also avoid adding a player solely because a photograph makes him appear taller than a teammate. Perspective, footwear and posture make that an unreliable comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the tallest football player of all time?
Simon Bloch Jørgensen has the highest documented height in our checked selection at 210 cm. B.93’s club history supports that figure. This article does not claim an independently certified worldwide record covering every senior player.
Who is the tallest outfield player in this list?
Paul Millar leads the selected outfield players at 208 cm, using Transfermarkt’s listing. He played as a centre-forward and shares second overall with goalkeeper Kristof Van Hout.
Who is the tallest defender in the selection?
Isaak Touré is the tallest defender here at 206 cm. His French Football Federation profile and Udinese’s signing announcement both support that metric figure.
Why is Yang Changpeng listed at 205 cm?
The table uses the 205 cm figure in named player databases. Reports also give 206 and 207 cm, including a report referring to league registration. His exact position remains uncertain until that conflict is resolved through stronger primary evidence.
Does being the tallest make a player the best?
No. Height can help with reach and aerial contests, but football also requires timing, movement, technique and decisions. This list ranks a physical attribute rather than playing ability or career success.
Sources and Fact Checking
B.93’s historical profile supplies Jørgensen’s 210 cm measurement, while Dulwich Hamlet provides a supporting imperial description and career context. UEFA and the Indian Super League support Van Hout’s figure. Gillingham and Huddersfield provide the identified imperial descriptions for Holý and Hudlin. The Austrian Bundesliga supplies Scherpen’s metric listing, and the FFF and Udinese support Touré’s height.
Transfermarkt supplies Millar’s selected height and supporting player records. Worldfootball.net, Transfermarkt and Sofascore support Yang’s 205 cm listing; Sohu and Sina coverage establish the reported disagreement. FBref and Sofascore support Iveša’s figure, with the Turkish federation documenting his career. Global Sports Archive and Transfermarkt support Hodžić’s listing and senior involvement. Listed figures are not presented as new measurements performed by FootballerRank.
Conclusion
In short, Jørgensen leads our tallest football players of all time selection at 210 cm, followed by Van Hout and Millar at 208 cm. Four players share 206 cm, while the final three use 205 cm listings, with Yang’s conflicting records clearly flagged. The useful result is a source-based comparison with visible limits: ties stay tied, rounded conversions do not change the order, and a documented height does not become a claim about football quality. Stronger primary evidence could revise the selection or the order.
