Norway's towering striker Erling Haaland and midfielder Martin Odegaard were seen deep in conversation during their team's opening World Cup match, as captured by AP photographer Martin Meissner. The image highlights the diversity of body types in football, raising the question: what is the ideal height for a soccer player?
The Law of Morphological Optimisation in Sports
In the competitive world of sports, athletes with the right physical attributes tend to succeed. This concept, known as the Law of Morphological Optimisation, applies to skills, grit, stamina, and strength, as well as body size and shape. Recently, the NBA finals showcased Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, who stands at an extraordinary 224 cm. But does height play a similar role in soccer?
Height Range Among World Cup Players
World Cup players come in all sizes, from extra small to extra large. Argentina's Diego Maradona measured just 165 cm, while Lionel Messi, who suffered from growth hormone deficiency as a child, is 170 cm. Brazil's Pelé was 173 cm, France's Zinedine Zidane reached 185 cm, and Norway's Erling Braut Haaland towers at 195 cm. The winners of the FIFA Ballon d'Or award have also varied in height: Messi at 170 cm and Spain's Rodri at 190 cm.
Interestingly, there is no direct correlation between average team height and performance. World Cup champions like Argentina, Spain, and Brazil have often been among the shorter teams. So parents of aspiring Socceroos need not worry excessively about their children's height.
Remarkable Similarity in Team Heights
One striking observation is the similarity in average heights across World Cup teams. For the majority of the 48 teams in the current tournament, the average height falls between 180 cm and 185 cm. The tallest teams, Bosnia and Norway, average 187 cm, while the Australian team averages 183 cm. The shortest team is Saudi Arabia at 178 cm. Players are generally taller than the average man of the same age from their country, and the difference is more pronounced for shorter nations.
This data suggests that teams seek players around 180–185 cm tall, which may be the optimal height for a soccer player. To understand why, we must examine the demands of different positions.
Height by Position
Goalkeepers are the tallest players, averaging 189 cm at the World Cup, as they need exceptional reach to block shots. Australia's tallest ever World Cup player was goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac at 202 cm. At one point, there was even discussion about enlarging the goals due to goalkeepers' increasing size.
Defenders, whose primary role is to obstruct attackers and compete for aerial balls, are also quite tall, averaging 183 cm. For instance, Lionel Messi has scored just over 30 headers in his career, while the taller Cristiano Ronaldo has netted more than 150. Taller players also perform better in defensive walls during free kicks.
Attackers, including midfielders and forwards, need mobility and high acceleration, so they tend to be shorter, around 175–180 cm. Two of the greatest attackers, Maradona (165 cm) and Messi (170 cm), were relatively short. It seems World Cup teams require at least some players large enough to win headers, form defensive walls, and block opponents. Once one team has such players, others must follow suit to remain competitive, creating an anthropometric arms race. This can be challenging for shorter nations like Mexico and Ecuador.
The Importance of Skill Over Height
Height is not as crucial as other attributes like ball skills, stamina, agility, and the ability to read the game. Consequently, extremely tall soccer players are rare, as there are fewer very tall men in the population with superb ball skills. Predicting the World Cup winner is uncertain, but it will likely be a team of young men of slightly above-average height. And perhaps it will be France.
