The 10 Tallest Football Players of All-Time
The 10 Tallest Football (Soccer) Players in History
Tall football players have used their height advantage to dominate aspects of the game for years.
But who are the tallest football players of all time? Read on to find out!
Simon Bloch Jorgensen, one of the tallest football players of all-time. Picture credits: The Non-League Paper
Reaching for balls with ease, these giants glide across the field.
From impenetrable goalkeepers with a wingspan that stretches nearly the width of the goal to towering target strikers adept at winning headers, the stature of these players strikes fear in the hearts of defenders.
While shorter players may rely on guile and trickery, these athletic behemoths have succeeded through sheer physical imposition.
Read about the 10 tallest football players of all-time!
1. Simon Bloch Jorgensen
6 feet 10.5 inches tall
He played as a goalkeeper
He played for Waltham Abbey, Dulwich Hamlet and more
The retired Danish professional footballer Simon Bloch Jorgensen was born on September 1, 1992, in Flensburg, Germany.
Standing at a towering height of 2.10 metres (6 feet 10.5 inches), Jorgensen played as a goalkeeper for many clubs, including:
Waltham Abbey
Dulwich Hamlet
Greve IF
Whitehawk
Accrington Stanley
Bronshoj
Waltham Forest
Frem
B.1908 and B.93
Jorgensen earned recognition as the tallest footballer in the sport’s history.
His unique physical stature allowed him to fully utilise his skills as a goalkeeper across different leagues and teams over the years.
2. Yang Changpeng
2.09 metres tall
Nicknamed "China's Peter Crouch"
His professional career ended in 2021
Yang Changpeng is a Chinese footballer known for his height of 2.09 metres. Nicknamed "China's Peter Crouch”, he was invited to train with the Bolton Wanderers after being spotted by their scouts.
He played for several Chinese clubs, including Wuhan Optics Valley, Chengdu Blades and Henan Jianye. His professional career ended in 2021 when he parted ways with WH Jiangcheng.
Throughout his career, Changpeng's extraordinary stature made him stand out on the pitch.
However, his technical skills did not match his physical prowess. While a commanding aerial presence, he struggled to influence games consistently.
3. Kristof Van Hout
2.08 metres tall
Nicknamed the “Belgian Giant”
He won the Belgian Cup in 2013
Born in Lommel, Belgium, in 1987, Kristof Van Hout began his career with Willem II in the Netherlands.
Van Hout has played for numerous Belgian clubs, including Kortrijk, Standard Liege and Genk, with whom he won the Belgian Cup in 2013.
Van Hout's height of 2.08 metres allows him to command the penalty area, but he’s also proven himself an agile shot-stopper.
Van Hout's unique physical attributes were what initially got him noticed, but his skills kept him in the top leagues.
According to Sports Keeda, Van Hout was loaned to India's Delhi Dynamos in 2016, and he was dubbed the "Belgian Giant.”
Now, back in his homeland with Lommel, Van Hout's aerial dominance continues to help his team build attacks.
4. Vanja Ivesa
6 feet 9 inches tall
He played for Turkish, Croatian and Australian clubs
He was the oldest player ever in Croatia’s top league
With a height of 6 feet 9 inches, goalkeeper Vanja Ivesa used his massive size to tend the net across Croatia for over two decades.
Born in Pula in 1977, his career spanned Turkey, Australia and numerous Croatian clubs until his retirement with NK Opatija in 2018.
At age 40, Ivesa became the oldest player ever in Croatia's top league. With cat-like reflexes despite his size, Ivesa frustrated strikers for years with his shot-stopping and command of the pitch.
His 26-year career epitomised determination and durability, evolving with the game from the 1990s. Even in his 40s, Ivesa's experience and height made him an asset to Opatija - and he was one of the greatest Croatian footballers of all-time.
5. Tonny Brogaard
6 feet 9 inches tall
He started out at the Doncaster Rovers - but he struggled to establish himself in England
He last played for Boldklubben Frem in the Danish 1st Division
Formerly known as Tonny Nielsen, Tonny Brogaard is a retired Danish football goalkeeper. He was born on February 10, 1984, and last played for Boldklubben Frem in the Danish 1st Division.
According to Sports Mansor, Brogaard is one of the tallest professional footballers in the world, with a height of 2.1 metres (6 feet 9 inches).
He began his career playing as a reserve goalkeeper for the amateur Danish club Fremad Amager before being recruited to English club Doncaster Rovers in May 2005.
Despite his imposing height, Brogaard struggled to establish himself in England and returned to Denmark, where he finished his playing career in the lower divisions.
6. Tomas Holy
6 feet 7.5 inches tall
He signed for the Doncaster Rovers in 2017
He’s yet to establish himself as an English football star
Tomas Holy is a professional Czech footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.
Born on December 10, 1991, in Rychnov nad Kneznou, Holy stands at 6 feet and 7.5 inches tall, making him one of the tallest active players in the sport.
He began his career in the youth system at Hradec Kralove before joining top Czech club Sparta Prague where he started his professional career.
After a series of loans to other Czech teams, Holy moved abroad, signing for English club Doncaster Rovers in 2017.
He currently plays for Carlisle United in England's third-tier EFL League One. Despite his imposing height and early promise, Holy has yet to establish himself as a regular starter in England.
7. Kjell Scherpen
6 feet 9 inches tall
His current market value is two million euros
A promising young goalkeeper
Kjell Scherpen is a promising young Dutch footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. Born on January 23, 2000, in Emmen, Netherlands, Scherpen stands at an impressive 6 feet 9 inches tall, making him one of the tallest players in the game.
He began his professional career with FC Emmen in the Dutch Eredivisie before moving to Ajax in 2019.
After loans at Oostende in Belgium and Vitesse Arnhem, Scherpen signed with Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021.
However, unable to break into the Brighton first team, he was loaned to Austrian club Sturm Graz for the 2022-23 season to gain valuable experience.
He has represented the Netherlands up to under-21 level but is still awaiting his first senior cap.
With his enormous height and wingspan, Scherpen has the physical attributes to become an intimidating presence between the posts if he can realise his potential in the coming years.
His current market value is estimated at two million euros.
8. Jason Mooney
6 feet 8.5 inches tall
He debuted for Ards in 2007
He has spent most of his career in Northern Ireland’s lower leagues
Standing at an impressive 6 feet 8.5 inches tall, Jason Mooney is a semi-professional goalkeeper from Northern Ireland. Born in Newtownards in 1989, Mooney started his career in the youth system at Ards FC.
He debuted for Ards, aged 18, on December 29, 2007, in a league defeat to Carrick Rangers.
Mooney made two more appearances for Ards in 2007-08 before joining newly promoted Premiership club Bangor in 2008.
After a short spell back at intermediate level with Ards Rangers, Mooney signed for amateur club Comber Rec ahead of the 2009-10 season.
Despite his intimidating height and presence between the posts, Mooney has spent most of his career competing in Northern Ireland's lower leagues.
9. Tor Hogne Aaroy
6 feet 8.5 inches tall
A centre forward from Norway
He is the tallest player in FIFA 15
At a height of 6 feet 8.5 inches, Tor Hogne Aaroy is one of the tallest professional footballers in the world.
Born in Alesund, Norway, in 1977, the giant centre forward made a name for himself in his homeland, turning out for clubs like Aalesunds FK and Sogndal IL.
His enormous height allowed him to dominate the air and he terrified the defenders.
Now retired from playing, Aaroy's extraordinary height lives on in FIFA 15, where he is credited as the tallest player in the entire video game at a towering 6 feet 8 inches.
10. Lucas Bergstrom
6 feet 7 inches tall
He started his professional career in July 2022
A promising young goalkeeper
Lucas Bergstrom is a promising young player looking to make his mark with Premier League giants Chelsea.
Hailing from Pargas, Finland, Bergstrom joined Chelsea's youth academy in 2018, transferring from Finnish side TPS.
He got his first taste of senior football in Chelsea's youth team, making his debut versus Reading in 2019 before turning professional later that year.
Chelsea loaned the talented goalkeeper to Peterborough United in England's League One for the 2022-23 season to streamline his skills and development.
Bergstrom made his professional debut on July 30, 2022, keeping the goal in Peterborough's 3-2 victory over Cheltenham Town.
Despite being only 20 years old, he has already represented Finland up to under-21 level.
With his height of 6 feet 7 inches and his incredible athleticism, Bergstrom dominated the penalty area and he has all the attributes to excel as a modern goalkeeper.
Who Are the Tallest Football Players of All-Time?
Goalkeepers and defenders who are very tall can reach and block shots more easily. Tall strikers also have an easier time scoring goals with their heads.
All of the players on this list have been able to use height to their advantage on the field - and being tall has helped them achieve big throughout the years.
Read more on our football blog
