Football is a sport for everyone, no matter your size or shape.
But some players take things to a completely different level, towering over teammates, opponents, and even most basketball players.
These are the giants of the beautiful game, men whose physical dimensions alone make them stand out in a sport where the average outfield player is around 1.81 metres tall.
Soccer may be a sport where agility and finesse often steal the spotlight, but towering height can be a game-changing advantage, especially in the box. Who are the tallest soccer players right now?
Top 10 Tallest Soccer Players In The World (2026)
Here are the ten tallest football players in the world in 2026:
1. Konstantin Veretynskiy — 2.10m (6ft 10.8in)
Konstantin Veretynskiy is the tallest active professional footballer in the world right now, standing at a staggering 2.10 metres tall.
The 20-year-old Belarusian goalkeeper plays for Slavia Mozyr in the Belarusian Vysshaya Liga, the top division of Belarusian football, after joining the club from Energetik-BGU Minsk in January 2025.
He is the youngest player on this list, born in March 2006, which means he is only just beginning his professional career and has every chance of eventually moving to a bigger league.
What makes Veretynskiy extraordinary is not just his height but the fact that very few goalkeepers in the history of the sport have ever stood this tall while playing competitively.
He is one of the most fascinating physical stories in world football right now and a player that European scouts are beginning to take notice of.
2. Kjell Scherpen — 2.06m (6ft 9in)
Kjell Scherpen is the tallest goalkeeper currently playing in a top European competition and one of the most impressive physical specimens the game has produced.
The 26-year-old Dutch goalkeeper plays for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian Pro League, having joined the club permanently from Brighton and Hove Albion in July 2025 for a reported fee of €2 million.
He has been outstanding for Union SG this season, making 29 appearances in the Belgian Pro League with a save rate of 80% and 15 clean sheets, earning a FotMob rating of 7.22, one of the highest of any goalkeeper in Belgium.
Scherpen also featured in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League group stage for Union SG, recording 10 saves across four matches, proving he belongs at the very highest level.
He came through the Ajax academy and previously played for Brighton, Vitesse, and Sturm Graz, where he won the Austrian Cup in 2024, and is one of the best goalkeepers in the world at his height.
3. Isaak Touré — 2.06m (6ft 9in)
Isaak Touré is one of the most unique players in European football, a 2.06 metre centre back who plays in Ligue 1 for FC Lorient and is only 23 years old.
The French defender, who holds dual French and Ivorian nationality, came through the Le Havre academy before joining Marseille and then moving permanently to Lorient in 2023 for a reported fee of €8 million.
He spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Udinese in Serie A, making 12 appearances and scoring once before a knee injury cut his campaign short, and he returned to Lorient for the current season.
At 2.06 metres, Touré is the tallest outfield centre back currently playing in any of Europe’s top five leagues, and his aerial ability in both penalty areas makes him a genuine weapon from set pieces.
Premier League clubs including Wolves and Fulham have reportedly monitored him, and it is only a matter of time before a bigger club comes calling for one of the most physically imposing young defenders in world football.
4. Denys Tvardovskyi — 2.06m (6ft 9in)
Denys Tvardovskyi is a 23-year-old Ukrainian goalkeeper standing at 2.06 metres who is currently on the books of Shakhtar Donetsk, one of Ukraine’s most successful and well-known clubs.
Born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine in June 2003, Tvardovskyi has featured in the Ukrainian Premier League for Shakhtar and is part of a goalkeeper setup that has been training and competing across different venues due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
His FC 26 rating lists him at 2.06 metres, which is confirmed across Transfermarkt, Soccer Wiki, and multiple Ukrainian football databases.
He is one of the tallest goalkeepers in Ukrainian football history and a player whose career trajectory will be watched closely as the game continues to emerge from an extraordinarily difficult period for football in that country.
5. Kyle Hudlin — 2.06m (6ft 9in)
Kyle Hudlin is the tallest striker currently playing professional football anywhere in the world and the only outfield player in this list’s top five.
The 26-year-old English forward, born in Birmingham in June 2000, stands at 2.06 metres and is currently playing for Thep Xanh Nam Dinh FC in Vietnam’s V.League 1 after a career that included spells at Solihull Moors and Huddersfield Town in English football.
Hudlin made his name in the National League with Solihull Moors, scoring 13 goals in 58 appearances, before signing for Huddersfield Town in 2022 on a two-year contract and later moving abroad.
Standing at 6ft 9in as a centre forward, he is a genuine aerial weapon who opponents simply cannot handle in the air, and his story is one of the most unique in world football.
He is the kind of player you would expect to see dominating a basketball court rather than a football pitch, which is exactly what makes him such a fascinating and unique striker in the modern game.
6. Kevin Gadellaa — 2.06m (6ft 9in)
Kevin Gadellaa is a 23-year-old Dutch goalkeeper standing at 2.06 metres who plays for FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Born in Zaandijk, Netherlands in April 2003, Gadellaa has established himself as a reliable option for Jong FC Utrecht and the senior squad, recording 1,980 minutes in the 2025/26 Eerste Divisie season with a FotMob rating of 6.63.
His size makes him one of the most physically dominant young goalkeepers in the Netherlands, and FC Utrecht regard him as one of their key long-term prospects between the posts.
At just 23 with his best years still ahead of him, Gadellaa has every chance of developing into one of the best young goalkeepers in world football if he can nail down a regular starting role at senior level.
7. Florian Wiegele — 2.05m (6ft 8.7in)
Florian Wiegele made football history in 2026 by becoming the tallest player ever named in a FIFA World Cup squad, a record that had previously been held by Dutch goalkeeper Andries Noppert at 2.03 metres.
The 25-year-old Austrian goalkeeper plays for Viktoria Plzeň in the Czech First League after joining the club ahead of the 2024/25 season, and earned his first senior Austria cap in a 5-1 friendly win over Ghana in March 2026 before being named in Ralf Rangnick’s 26-man World Cup squad.
Born in Graz in March 2001, Wiegele came through the Sturm Graz academy and worked his way up through Austria’s lower leagues before his move to Czech football gave him the platform to push for international recognition.
He entered the 2026 World Cup as Austria’s third-choice goalkeeper behind Alexander Schlager and Patrick Pentz, which means he may not see action on the pitch, but his place in football history is already secured.
He is nicknamed “Langer” in Austria, which simply means “tall one,” and at 2.05 metres he is one of the most physically distinctive goalkeepers in world football.
8. Lucas Bergström — 2.05m (6ft 8.7in)
Lucas Bergström is a 23-year-old Finnish goalkeeper standing at 2.05 metres who currently plays for RCD Mallorca in La Liga, making him one of the tallest goalkeepers in Spain’s top flight.
Born in Pargas, Finland in September 2002, Bergström joined Chelsea’s academy at 16 and spent seven years at Cobham, representing Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League-winning squad of 2024/25, before being released and signing for Mallorca ahead of the current season.
He has made 5 La Liga appearances for Mallorca in 2025/26 and is described by the club as “one of the tallest goalkeepers in Europe,” which given the company on this list is a fair assessment.
RCD Mallorca’s official website confirmed his signing by highlighting his 2.05m frame as one of his key attributes, and at 23 with a La Liga club behind him Bergström is building a career that should only get bigger.
He represents Finland at international level and is developing into one of the most interesting goalkeeper prospects in Scandinavian football, a country that has a rich tradition of producing tall and technically gifted keepers.
9. Pape Sy — 2.03m (6ft 8in)
Pape Sy is a 29-year-old Senegalese goalkeeper standing at 2.03 metres who plays for FC Metz in France’s Ligue 1, making him the tallest goalkeeper in the French top flight.
Born in Louga, Senegal in May 1997, Sy came through the Génération Foot academy before winning the Senegalese Ligue 1 twice and the Senegal FA Cup, earning him a move to Europe with Belgian second division side RFC Seraing.
His performances in Belgium attracted the attention of Metz, who signed him to play in Ligue 1, and he has since established himself as one of the club’s key players between the posts.
He won the Golden Glove at the 2022 African Nations Championship, which is a tournament for players based in Africa rather than the wider Africa Cup of Nations, and that award remains one of the most significant individual honours of his career.
Sy is one of the most decorated Senegalese goalkeepers in recent history and continues to prove that his giant frame is an asset rather than an obstacle at the highest level of European club football.
10. Dan Burn — 2.01m (6ft 7.1in)
Dan Burn is the tallest outfield player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, confirmed by official FIFA squad data at exactly 2.01 metres, and one of the most physically commanding centre backs in the Premier League.
The 34-year-old Newcastle United and England defender has been one of the most consistent defenders in the top flight over the last three seasons, using his aerial dominance and physicality to great effect in Eddie Howe’s system.
He helped Newcastle qualify for the Champions League and has become a cult figure at St James’ Park, where his size, commitment, and no-nonsense defending have made him one of the most popular players at the club.
Burn can also play as a left back and left wing back due to his ability to drive forward with the ball, which is remarkable for a player who stands 2.01 metres tall and proves that size does not have to come at the cost of mobility.
At the 2026 World Cup with England under Thomas Tuchel, Burn represents a central defensive option that no other squad in the tournament can truly replicate, making him one of the most unique defenders in world football.
Honourable Mentions
Several other towering players came very close to making this list and deserve recognition for their remarkable physical dimensions.
- Álvaro Montero (2.01m / 6ft 7.1in) — Colombia — The Colombian goalkeeper stands level with Dan Burn as the joint second-tallest player at the 2026 World Cup according to official FIFA data, and is Colombia’s first-choice keeper at the tournament. A commanding presence in the Colombian penalty area.
- Fraser Forster (2.01m / 6ft 7in) — Newcastle United — The experienced English goalkeeper has been one of the tallest keepers in the Premier League for over a decade, winning multiple trophies with Celtic and the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur. He remains a reliable and imposing backup at Newcastle United.
- Stjepan Radeljić (2.01m / 6ft 7.1in) — Bosnia and Herzegovina — The Bosnian centre back stands 2.01 metres tall and is one of the physically dominant defenders at the 2026 World Cup, confirmed by official FIFA squad data. A commanding presence alongside Edin Džeko’s Bosnia squad.
- Thibaut Courtois (2.00m / 6ft 6.7in) — Real Madrid — The Belgian goalkeeper is the biggest name on this honourable mentions list. Courtois stands at 2.00 metres and is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, with a Champions League title and La Liga medals to his name at Real Madrid.
- Saša Kalajdžić (2.00m / 6ft 6.7in) — Wolverhampton Wanderers — The Austrian forward is the tallest striker at the 2026 World Cup, standing exactly 2.00 metres tall. A devastating aerial presence who has fought back from serious knee injuries to represent Austria on the biggest stage of all.
- Mike Penders (2.00m / 6ft 6.7in) — Belgium — The young Belgian goalkeeper stands 2.00 metres tall and was part of Belgium’s squad at the 2026 World Cup. He is one of the most exciting young goalkeepers in Belgian football and a player whose size will only become more of an asset as his career develops.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our list of the shortest football players in the world and our guide to the oldest players still playing football.
