Summary
Possessing a gigantic build in football has its advantages but can come with its downsides in terms of speed and skill.
The ten tallest players in world football right now are predominantly goalkeepers or defenders.
Tall players like Konstantin Veretynskiy and Isaak Toure showcase height's impact in different positions.
Being tall is a highly desirable asset in the footballing world. A quality that allows you to have that extra edge over opponents when that long ball is hit downfield by the goalkeeper. However, the biggest players tend to be in goal themselves, with their dominating presence key to keeping the ball out of the net.
Despite the supposed glory that comes from being tall, it does have its problems. Footballers over 2 metres have been known to possess a slow and lanky playstyle, meaning their only quality attribute would be knocking the ball down to a teammate. You rarely see a gigantic footballer who has the skill that could cut it at the top level - unless you're Peter Crouch, of course.
Newcastle United's Dan Burn and Tottenham's Fraser Forster spring to mind when thinking of tall players in the Premier League, but how does their stature match up on the world stage? We searched across the globe for the ten tallest players in world football right now.
10 Tallest Players in World Football Right Now
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10 Niks Sliede
2.03 metres
Born in 2004, Niks Sliede stands at an overwhelming height of 2.03 metres and plays for Latvian side FC RFS. His club has been one of the most successful in Latvia in recent times, with FC RFS even competing in the Europa League this season.
Sliede, at the age of just 20, has travelled around his home country in search for game time and took to the field for both Valmeria FC and FK Tukums 2000. After having a two-year stint at his current club three years ago, FC RFS resigned the centre-back in the January transfer window ahead of the new season.
9 Carlos Miguel
2.04 metres
Nottingham Forest's Carlos Miguel with teammates inside the stadium before the match
Nottingham Forest signed Carlos Miguel for £3.4 million from Brazilian side Corinthians. In search of a new back-up goalkeeper, the Premier League club obtained the services of one of the tallest shot stoppers in the world. Miguel, with a domineering length of 2.04 metres, has been sparingly used by manager Nuno Espírito Santo following his move.
The 26-year-old made six saves on his debut at The City Ground against Newcastle however, and even saved a penalty from compatriot, Joelinton. Many supporters have been quick to criticise tall goalkeepers, persisting that they are unable to get down quick enough to stop shots. Miguel will be hoping he can follow in the footsteps of other Premier League giants and put these rumours about his game to bed.
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8 Lucas Bergstrom
2.05 metres
Chelsea's Lucas Bergstrom, Ted Curd and Robert Sanchez during training
When a young player comes through the ranks at Chelsea, you immediately think it was one of Todd Boehly's signings from when he dipped into the market for unknown, but promising stars. However, Lucas Bergstrom has been at Cobham longer than Boehly's been around, playing for the majority of their youth squads growing up.
Although yet to make an appearance for the Blues, Bergstrom has enjoyed loans at Peterborough United and Brommapojkarna. The goalkeeper situation at Stamford Bridge hasn't been the prettiest this season, and the Finnish international will be hoping he catches Enzo Maresca's eye in the few months left of the campaign.
7 Kevin Gadellaa
2.06 metres
Kevin Gadellaa is another goalkeeper on this list that has struggled for minutes in Europe. The 21-year-old has failed to make an impact at his current club, FC Utrecht, and has instead been frequently featuring for their second team.
The Dutchman remains quite far back in the pecking order, with both Michael Brouwer and Vasilios Barkas preferred to the 2.06 metre man. With his career still yet to come alive, Gadellaa's best years may be yet to come as he looks to break into the first-team at FC Utrecht. He's another player that has failed to use his height to attract staff into thinking he is worthy of any minutes in net.
6 Pape Sy
2.06 metres
Senegal's Pape Sy golden glove award, Algeria's Houssem Mrezigue golden ball award, Senegal's Moutarou Balde with the fair play trophy and Algeria's Aymen Mahious with the golden boot award pose for a picture
Pape Sy's Golden Glove at the African Nations Championship caught the eye of European clubs who entered negotiations with the Senegalese international. This tournament is different to the African Cup of Nations - one of the biggest competitions in world football - and instead promotes local talent by only allowing those playing in Africa to compete.
The goalkeeper's impressive performances back in 2022 earned him a contract at Belgium second division side RFC Seraing. Since his move to Europe, his career has been on the rise and he currently plays for FC Metz in Ligue 2. Sy only holds two first-team appearances to his name in France, with his debut being cut short due to an injury in the 25th minute.
5 Kyle Hudlin
2.06 metres
Solihull Moors' Kyle Hudlin in action with Grimsby Town's Ben Fox
Having a 2.06 metre striker in your team at the lower end of the English football pyramid sounds like absolute dream. As you slowly regress through the divisions in England, the quality of football becomes overshadowed by what fans love to call 'hoofball'. A term used to describe the scrappy style of play where teams launch the ball upfield instead of playing out from the back like you see in the elite leagues.
After making a name for himself at National League side Solihull Moors, Hudlin was rewarded with a transfer to Huddersfield. The Championship ended up being one step too far for the forward, and he has since found his feet with Newport County in League Two. He boasts an impressive record of seven goal contributions in 14 starts for the club, scoring half of his goals with his head.
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4 Denys Tvardovskyi
2.06 metres
There seems to be a common theme with tall young goalkeepers who haven't found any real joy in being involed in a club they are honoured at. Shakhtar Donetsk's Denys Tvardovskyi is another that sits at the 2.06 metre mark, but has only made two appearances for the Ukrainian champions.
Despite his infrequent performances, the 21-year-old did pick up a winners' medal last season following Shakhtar Donetsk's table-topping year. But, manager Marino Pusic, has turned a blind eye to the goalkeeper in the new campaign, with Tvardovskyi failing to play a single minute of football this season. After impressing for their U19 squads in his youth, you would hope he would go on to be a key player at his boyhood team.
3 Kjell Scherpen
2.06 metres
SK Sturm Graz's Kjell Scherpen celebrates after the match
Kjell Scherper is probably the most successful giant on this list. His 2.06 metre build hasn't stopped him from excelling around Europe, picking up two league titles in Austria and the Netherlands. After contributing to Ajax's domestic success in the 2020/21 season, Premier League club Brighton swopped in and secured the Dutchman's signature for an undisclosed fee.
Much like the previous English top flight goalkeepers, he hasn't had a look in on the south coast, only making one appearance for the Seagulls. Brighton have been very keen to send Scherpen out on loan and the keeper is currently enjoying a two-year stint at Austrian club, Sturm Graz. He's been picking up experiences that any footballer would wish for, competing in the Champions League and winning trophies.
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2 Isaak Toure
2.06 metres
Udinese's Isaak Toure looks dejected after the match
Putting in consistent performances in one of the world's best leagues is certainly a tough ask for someone who is 2.06 metres high. However, Isaak Toure has impressed during his loan spell at Serie A club Udinese. Before his knee injury, Toure became a useful defender for Kosta Runjaic's side.
The centre-back wouldn't have played as much as he would've liked though, mainly down to his tendency to pick up red cards. In just 11 league starts, Toure picked up two red cards in the early parts of the season with his side going on to lose both matches. Despite his small wobbles, there's no doubt that his imposing presence at the back is a nightmare for even some of the divisions top strikers.
1 Konstantin Veretynskiy
2.10 metres
Konstantin Veretynskiy's height is something that just has to be admired. Steering well clear of any competition, his 2.10 metre build trumps anyone in world football and acts as an important asset in his role as a goalkeeper. The most eyebrow raising thing about Veretynskiy isn't even his height, it's the fact he's still only a teenager.
At the end of January 2025, Belarusian top-flight side, Slavia Mozyr, signed the shot-stopper from Energetik-BGU Minsk. Veretynskiy will be hoping a move away from the capital can help propell him into the European spotlight and kickstart his unqiue career as the world's tallest footballer.
All data is from Transfermarkt and is correct as of 04/03/2025