Heading (or nodding) the ball is a special art in football. A player’s height mostly plays a major role when a player rises above others to head the ball.
Apart from height, being able to leap is crucial. While all football players can head the ball, jumping very high helps some players in aerial battles.
In this article, TOP SOCCER BLOG brings you the top 10 highest jumps ever recorded in football history. Please note that these highest jumps in football are based of the heights the players reached to score a goal with their heads.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Manchester United (2.93m)
Cristiano Ronaldo, who is undoubtedly one of the best footballers of all time, has achieved most of the highest jumps in football.
He has some extraordinary traits that set him apart from others on the pitch.
One of these exceptional abilities is that he can sometimes jump higher than even an NBA player.
CR7 can nearly jump twice his height when he leaps to head the ball. In fact, he is the highest jumper ever recorded in soccer history.
Whenever he jumps, it seems as if he can float and pause in the air — astounding fans and even opposition players.
As a result, most of the goals on this list belong to Ronaldo.
Furthermore, the Portuguese superstar has scored more headed goals than any footballer in history — with around 150 for both club and country.
Some of Cristiano Ronaldo’s headed goals were so astonishing that his ability to jump high and hang in the air has been likened to basketball legend, Michael Jordan.
In reality, though, Ronaldo doesn’t jump as high as Jordan; but can outdo average NBA players.
His highest-ever recorded jump was a stunning 2.93 meter leap in February 2013 while scoring for Real Madrid against Manchester United in the first leg of a round-of-16 match in the UEFA Champions League.
Patrice Evra — who was marking him — absolutely stood no chance as he watched Ronaldo flying in the air!
2. Youssef En-Nesyri vs Portugal (2.78m)
Moroccan striker, Youssef En-Nesyri is renowned for his ability to leap high and score with his head. It is no surprise that his goal was among the highest jumps in football history.
In a 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal game vs. Portugal, Youssef En-Nesyri scored a gravity-defying header.
The Moroccan striker hung in the air and pipped Portugal goalkeeper, Diogo Costa to the ball to score Morocco’s winner in the 1-0 victory.
En-Neseyri’s brilliant header was from a height of 2.78 metres.
It is important to note that En-Nesyri’s height is around 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in), yet is capable to jumping almost twice his height.
3. Bevis Mugabi vs Ross County (2.62m)
Motherwell’s Ugandan international defender, Bevis Mugabi, out-jumped other players in the box when he scored a towering header against Ross County.
The goal was scored in a Scottish Premiership match in February 2021. Mugabi’s jump was recorded at an astonishing 2.62 metres height.
4. Fikayo Tomori vs Juventus (2.61m)
In May 2021, AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori smashed Cristiano Ronaldo’s highest jump record in the Serie A after netting in Milan’s 3-0 win against Juventus.
Tomori jumped 2.61 metres high, towering over Giorgi Chiellini to nod the ball home.
5. Victor Osimhen vs. Spezia (2.58m)
On February 7 2023, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen became Serie A’s jump-king after he set a new record during Napoli’s brilliant 3-0 win away to Spezia on Sunday.
Osimhen scored a brilliant headed goal against the Little Eagles at the Stadio Alberto Picco, which became one of the highest jumps in football history.
The goal came in the 68th minute, when he leapt above goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski to double Napoli’s lead.
The striker jumped a remarkable 2.58 metres to beat Dragowski to a looping clearance before heading home.
Victor Osimhen is considered of the best strikers in the world at the moment and one of the reasons is his superior aerial ability, which allows him to leap and connect with crosses easily.
6. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Sampdoria (2.56m)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s winning goal against Sampdoria in a Serie A clash in 2019 was out of this world.
A classic textbook header, it was recorded at 2.56 metres high.
Ronaldo made the remarkable leap to get to Alex Sandro’s cross and slammed the ball home.
7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Inter Milan (2.53m)
In a Milan derby match in February 2020, Zlatan Ibrahimovic provided the assist for AC Milan’s first goal and almost jumped as high as Cristiano Ronaldo did for the above-mentioned goal against Sampdoria.
The Swede went 2.53 metres off the ground. The very fact that he nearly jumped as high as Ronaldo was astonishing because Zlatan is even taller.
8. Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Torino (2.47m)
A year before his gravity-defying leap against Sampdoria, Cristiano Ronaldo recorded a spectacular jump — a 2.47m leap — while playing in the Serie A against Torino in 2018/19.
Torino took the lead and looked set for a famous victory against Juventus in the Turin Derby.
However, CR7 had other ideas, as he denied Torino the victory with an 84th-minute thumping header to level scores.
9. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Osasuna (2.44m)
Ronaldo again!!!
In the 2011/12 La Liga season, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick for Real Madrid in a 7-1 win against Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu.
His 3rd goal — an astonishing 2.44 metres leap — stunned the crowd.
10. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Sassuolo (2.44m)
Also, while at Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo left fans awestruck when he made a staggering jump during an aerial duel against Sassuolo.
Ronaldo went up the air to win the duel against Sassuolo goalkeeper Andrea Consigli — who could not produce a similar jump.
Like the Osasuna goal above, it was recorded at 2.44 metres.
Bonus: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Wales (2.42m)
Ronaldo led Portugal to win Euro 2016 by scoring 3 goals and providing as many assists as possible.
His most important goal in the tournament was the one he scored against Wales in the semi-final.
Ronaldo jumped 2.42 metres high to nod the ball home in the 50th minute. Portugal eventually won 2-0.
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