Simon Bloch Jorgensen, the tallest player in football and the tallest goalie in the world, stands at a staggering 2.10 m, or six feet and 10.5 inches. He is a Danish goalkeeper who played for Frem, FC Copenhagen, B.93, and B.1908. His career lasted from 1990 to 2003.
Bloch's height allowed him to dominate in the Danish league during its early years, when many players were still under two meters tall. However, it also made him an easy target for opponents' shots, as well as for own goals. Despite this, he still managed to save a high percentage of shots taken against him.
After playing five seasons in Denmark, he moved abroad to try his luck in Norway with Rosenborg. However, after one season, he decided to end his career. He has been listed on the Internet as being 2.14 m, but this appears to be a typo since DûE was never issued with such a short goalkeeper.
Currently, the record holder is 2.10 m Martin Jiránek, a Czech goalkeeper who plays for F.C. Copenhagen. He is half a meter taller than Bloch and dominated the Danish league for several years in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The average goalie height (1.89 meters, 6.2 feet) is far higher than I anticipated. Some of the world's lowest goalkeepers are 1.83 meters (6 feet), which is still taller than most field players but less than the average in the world's best leagues. There are no shorter goalkeepers currently playing in the MLS.
Within this group, there are clear differences in stature depending on the league you look at. In Europe's top flight, the average goalkeeper is about 1.90 meters (6 feet). But in South America's Serie A, they're only 1.72 meters (5 feet 11 inches) tall.
In terms of countries, Germany has the tallest keepers with an average height of 1.95 meters (6 feet 4 inches). Brazilians goalkeepers tend to be the least tall with an average of 1.71 meters (5 feet 11 inches).
Within these national groups, there are also significant differences in body type. German keepers are much more likely to be muscular men who play in a straight-ahead style; while Brazilian ones are more likely to be fast players who like to dive around and poke the ball away with their hands.
Finally, there are regional variations within countries too. Goalkeepers in England are significantly taller than those in France or Spain.
6.3 meters! A professional goalkeeper's average height is 6.3 feet, according to a 2015 UEFA research. The minimal height for a goalie, according to that research, is 5 ft. 11 in. Goalkeepers who are smaller than this are considered sub-standard and do not receive much opportunity to play the sport.
The world's tallest soccer player is David de Gea of Spain, who was listed as 6 ft 3 inches (1.9 m) tall on his birth certificate before he was identified as having been born with two teeth missing. He has been praised for his agility and skill despite his height, which has led some observers to compare him with another famous Spanish goalkeeper, Iker Casillas. They both played for Madrid and were teammates on the 2008 European Football Championship winning team.
In fact, there are only five men in the entire world who are even close to being able to match up with De Gea when it comes to size. Three of them are American: John Smits (6 ft 7 in or 1.88 m), Jeff Agoos (6 ft 10 in or 2.11 m), and Mark Kreiger (6 ft 4 in or 1.83 m). The other two are German players named Peter Schmeichel and Bernd Schneider (both 6 ft).
A 1.85 meter (6.1 foot) goalie can easily outperform a 1.93 meter goalkeeper (6.3 feet). Being tall does not inherently make a keeper superior; it only implies that he will have different features than the smaller one. A competent goalie should constantly make his defense and his entire squad feel safe. He should also be active, aware of what is going on around him.
The height of a goalkeeper depends on which position he takes up on the field. There are small goalkeepers and large goalkeepers. The size of a goalkeeper also varies depending on how professional is he. Young goalies usually are shorter than older ones. Bigger keepers tend to be more muscular and stronger. Both qualities are needed in a goalkeeper.
In general, the taller the goalkeeper, the better he can see everything that is happening in front of him. This allows him to make faster decisions about where to go with the ball and who to pass it to. Long-range shooters would love to score goals at close range, but big keepers are able to stop them before they reach the net. Size matters!
However, there are other factors to take into account when judging a goalkeeper's height. For example, a short goalkeeper might do well playing in a league where the players are generally smaller. On the other hand, a tall goalkeeper could find it difficult to guard against people who get past him easily.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc.
