Top Tallest Football Players in the World

Celebrity & Record Heights

Height rankings like this one go stale fast: players retire, transfer, and get remeasured, and a new record holder can appear seemingly overnight. This guide checks the current heights and club status of football's tallest players against up-to-date sources, and corrects a couple of details, including the identity of the actual tallest player, that had drifted out of date.

Fact Check

Kyle Hudlin has widely been described online as the tallest footballer in the world at 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in). Current listings from Wikipedia, Transfermarkt, and his own club profiles put his height at 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) instead — tall by any standard, but not the tallest, and tied with several other players on this list. His club situation has also moved on considerably: after loan spells at AFC Wimbledon, Burton Albion, and Newport County, he left Huddersfield Town in 2025 and signed with Vietnamese club Thép Xanh Nam Định, whose contract with him expired at the end of June 2026.

Top Tallest Football Players in the World, Ranked

#PlayerHeightCountryStatus
1Konstantin Veretynskiy2.10 m (6'10.7")BelarusActive — Slavia Mozyr
2Simon Bloch Jørgensen2.10 m (6'10.5")DenmarkActive — Accrington Stanley
3Kristof Van Hout2.08 m (6'10")BelgiumRetired since 2023
4Paul Millar2.07 m (6'9")Northern IrelandDeveronvale (as last reported)
5Daniel Müller2.06 m (6'9")GermanyAs last reported
6Tonny Brogaard2.06 m (6'9")DenmarkAs last reported
7Kyle Hudlin2.06 m (6'9")EnglandWithout club since Jul 2026
8Vanja Ivesa2.05 m (6'9")CroatiaRetired
9Yang Changpeng2.05 m (6'8.5")ChinaAs last reported
10Jason Mooney2.04 m (6'8.5")Northern IrelandAs last reported
11Tor Hogne Aarøy2.04 m (6'8.5")NorwayRetired
12Lacina Traoré2.03 m (6'8")Ivory CoastActive — Bandırmaspor
13Costel Pantilimon2.03 m (6'8")RomaniaRetired since 2021

The New #1: Konstantin Veretynskiy

Konstantin Veretynskiy, born March 23, 2006, in Pinsk, Belarus, began his senior career with Energetik-BGU Minsk in 2023 before joining Belarusian Premier League club Slavia Mozyr in January 2025. Standing 2.10 m (6 ft 10.7 in), he's now recognized by multiple football databases as the tallest active professional footballer in the world, a distinction he holds at just 20 years old, with presumably much of his career still ahead of him.

Kyle Hudlin: A Winding Road to Vietnam

Kyle Hudlin - 6 feet 9 inches
Kyle Hudlin, listed at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), not 6 ft 11 in as often reported.

Born in Birmingham, England, in June 2000, Hudlin came through non-league football with Solihull Moors before signing with Huddersfield Town in 2022. Loan spells followed at AFC Wimbledon, Burton Albion, and Newport County, none of which led to a settled role at Huddersfield. He left the club in 2025 and signed with Vietnamese V.League 1 side Thép Xanh Nam Định, where his aerial presence and mismatch against typically shorter defenders made him a useful "plan B" option, before his contract there expired in mid-2026.

Simon Bloch Jørgensen & Kristof Van Hout

Simon Bloch Jorgensen – 6'10" (2.10m)
Simon Bloch Jørgensen – 6'10.5" (2.10m).
Denmark • Goalkeeper
Simon Bloch Jørgensen
A Danish goalkeeper who has played across England and Denmark, including spells at Brøndby IF's academy, Waltham Abbey, and now Accrington Stanley in League Two, where he remains active as of 2026.
Belgium • Goalkeeper
Kristof Van Hout
Won Belgian Pro League Best Goalkeeper honors with KV Kortrijk (2011-12) and later played seven seasons at Westerlo, a spell often left out of shorter bios. He retired in July 2023 after a final season with Lommel SK.
Paul Millar – 6'9" (2.07m)
Paul Millar – 6'9" (2.07m).

The Rest of the List

Croatia • Goalkeeper • Retired
Vanja Ivesa
An experienced goalkeeper known for reflexes and game-reading ability that belied his size; stepped away from professional football several years ago.
Germany • Goalkeeper
Daniel Müller
A German goalkeeper noted for quick reflexes and strong command of his penalty area, standing 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in).
Denmark • Goalkeeper
Tonny Brogaard
Known in Danish football for reaching aerial passes and high shots other goalkeepers struggle with, at 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in).
China • Forward/Winger
Yang Changpeng
A 2.05 m (6 ft 8.5 in) forward known for combining his physical presence with agility and shooting power in Chinese domestic football.
Northern Ireland • Goalkeeper
Jason Mooney
One of Northern Irish football's most talked-about players due to his size, at 2.04 m (6 ft 8.5 in), with experience across local and professional clubs.
Norway • Retired
Tor Hogne Aarøy
A retired Norwegian player remembered for his achievements during an earlier era of Norwegian football, at 2.04 m (6 ft 8.5 in).
Ivory Coast • Forward
Lacina Traoré
Once the most expensive African player in history after an €18 million move to Anzhi Makhachkala in 2012, with CAF Confederation Cup and Champions League experience; now playing in Turkey's second tier for Bandırmaspor.
Romania • Goalkeeper • Retired
Costel Pantilimon
A reliable goalkeeper for both club and country during his career, including a Premier League spell in England; retired from professional football in 2021.

The practical takeaway: at the very top, tallest-player lists shift constantly as young prospects emerge, veterans retire, and heights get remeasured. Konstantin Veretynskiy's rise to the top of this list happened almost entirely within the last year or two, while a long-reigning "tallest man in football" claim about Kyle Hudlin turns out to be both a height overstatement and out of date on his club. Worth a periodic recheck if you're citing this kind of ranking anywhere else.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the tallest football player in the world right now?

Konstantin Veretynskiy, a 20-year-old Belarusian goalkeeper for Slavia Mozyr, at 2.10 m (6 ft 10.7 in), tied with Danish goalkeeper Simon Bloch Jørgensen at the same height.

Is Kyle Hudlin really the tallest footballer in the world?

No, despite frequently being described that way online. Current official listings put him at 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in), not 2.10 m, which places him among the tallest active players but not at the very top.

What club does Kyle Hudlin play for now?

As of mid-2026, he is without a club. His contract with Vietnamese side Thép Xanh Nam Định expired at the end of June 2026, following his 2025 departure from Huddersfield Town.

Why are goalkeepers usually the tallest players on the pitch?

Height and reach directly help goalkeepers cover more of the goal and win aerial duels on crosses and set pieces, which is why the position disproportionately attracts and rewards unusually tall players compared to outfield roles.

References

1
Kyle Hudlin Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyle_Hudlin
2
The Tower of Belarus: Meet the 210cm Footballer Who Is Literally the World's Tallest GiveMeSport, via Kursiv Media, October 2025 kursiv.media – tallest footballer report
3
Kristof Van Hout – Player Profile Transfermarkt / Wikipedia transfermarkt.us/kristof-van-hout
4
Costel Pantilimon – Player Profile Transfermarkt transfermarkt.us/costel-pantilimon
5
Konstantin Veretynskiy – Player Profile Transfermarkt / Sofascore transfermarkt.us/konstantin-veretynskiy
A note on verification: heights and club affiliations for Konstantin Veretynskiy, Kyle Hudlin, Simon Bloch Jørgensen, Kristof Van Hout, Lacina Traoré, and Costel Pantilimon were independently checked against Wikipedia, Transfermarkt, Sofascore, and Soccerway as of August 2026. Entries marked "as last reported" (Paul Millar, Daniel Müller, Tonny Brogaard, Yang Changpeng, Jason Mooney, Tor Hogne Aarøy) reflect the most recent information available to us but could not be freshly reverified for this update; treat their current club details with appropriate caution.

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