Most of the time people think that soccer players are usually shorter and lighter than athletes from other sports, which has a lot of truth to it. However, soccer/football goalkeepers are usually a lot taller than average field players.
So, What is the average goalkeeper height and weight? In an investigation I made, where I analyzed 45 of the best goalkeepers in the world, I found out that the average goalkeeper’s height is 1.89 meters (6.2 feet) while the average goalkeeper’s weight is 83 kilograms (184 pounds).
At first sight, you can notice that goalkeepers tend to be very tall, but not as tall as most basketball NBA players. Also, they are very lightweight in comparison to their height. Most soccer goalkeepers will be the heaviest player on their team, and they are still lighter than most american football players.
How I did the investigation
I was passing the pages through my Panini Sticker album when I noticed that in every player’s sticker is their height and weight. I automatically saw that in most teams the goalkeeper is the tallest player from the team.
I created an excel sheet where I started adding all the heights and weights from the goalkeepers of the next World Cup (Russia 2018). I also added some legendary goalkeepers that will not be in the World Cup. You can download the excel sheet here. Click here to download the file.
It is not possible to appreciate on TV the real size of these goalkeepers and I was sincerely surprised by the height of some of them. For example, Real Madrid goalkeeper, Keylor Navas. I always thought Keylor was a short goalkeeper, but then I saw he is 1.85 meters tall (6.1 feet)!
I am 1.85 meters tall and I’m one of the tallest of my friends and I’m consider “The Tall Guy” in most places I go. Now just imagining that he is 1.85 and is one of the shortest goalkeepers in the tournament is crazy! This is not super tall but definitely is taller than the average person.
The smallest goalkeepers in my investigation were:
- Shusaku Nishikawa (Japan)
- David Ospina (Colombia)
- Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia)
- Yan Sommer (Switzerland)
- Diego Ochoa (Mexico)
All at 1.83 meters (6.0 feet). Which is not extremely tall, but definitely taller than most field players.
The tallest goalkeeper in the investigation was:
- Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
At an astonishing height of 1.99 meters (6.5 feet). Which is super tall for a soccer player but still less than the average NBA player.
The total average height was 1.89 meters (6.2 feet) and the total average weight was 83 kilograms (184 pounds). Meaning that the ideal prototype of a goalkeeper is a tall and thin guy.
I then asked many questions to myself: Why is it in this way? Is there any advantage from a goalkeeper being tall? Is it a requirement to be tall to be a goalkeeper? Can a small player do a good job as a golie?
Does height really matter?
Being tall as a goalkeeper may give you many advantages when playing a game. It is always harder for small goalkeepers to keep up with the tall goalkeepers, but not impossible.
More than just being tall and covering as much space of the goal possible, a good goalkeeper needs to have great reflexes, quick footwork, safe hands, good positioning, transmit great security to his teammates and many more.
It is not correct to say that if you’re not 6 feet tall then you can’t be a good goalkeeper, it just means that you’ll have to work harder and become better at some aspects that tall goalkeepers can’t.
In my years playing soccer, I’ve come across great goalkeepers that were a lot shorter than me (I’m 1.85 meters tall, 6.1 feet) and it was still hard for me to score a goal against them.
I’m sure you remember during the World Cup Brazil 2014 in the Quarter Finals match of the Netherlands against Costa Rica, Louis Van Gaal (Netherlands coach), made the called best last minute substitution in history.
He benched his starter keeper Jasper Cillesen (1.85 meters, 6.1 feet), to make Tim Krul (1.93 meters, 6.3 feet) be the goalkeeper in the penalty shootout. He ended saving 2 penalties and qualifying the Dutchs to the semifinals.
The difference in height between both keepers marked the way for the netherlands. Here is the video of the penalty shootout of that game:
Advantages of being tall as a goalkeeper
Based on my experience playing, I think that field players have different sensations when standing in front of either a short or a tall goalkeeper. Being a tall keeper can have some advantages like:
- You are capable of covering a larger area of the goal, making it easier to reach side to side on shorter time.
- Tall goalkeepers usually have longer arms, which plays a huge role when making clutch saves.
- It is easier for a tall keeper to develop his game by air. High air balls are easier to catch for him because of his height. For field players it is very hard to win a header to a tall goalkeeper. Being tall also gives you more confidence that you can reach those air balls easier.
- For us, the field players, seeing a tall goalkeeper at the goal makes the goal feel smaller for us, making it harder psychologically to score.
Qualities of a good goalkeeper
Don’t think that being a good goalkeeper is just being tall. A 1.85 meter goalkeeper (6.1 feet) can easily do the competition to a 1.93 meters goalkeeper (6.3 feet). Being tall doesn’t make a keeper automatically better, it just means that he will have different characteristics than the smaller one.
A good goalkeeper should make his defense and his whole team always feel secure. He is is the only player in the field that has an 180 degree view of the game. A goalkeeper should never shut up during a game and should constantly give instructions.
If a tall goalkeeper doesn’t get this done well, a short goalkeeper can easily take his place.
Security is not only transmitted by speaking, it is also shown in every shot the keeper takes and how he handles it, if he doesn’t give any doubtful rebounds, how well he handles the air balls, etc.
A good goalkeeper should always be aware of having a good positioning in his goal. When a golie has a good positioning in his goal, it is very hard to score a goal to him, no matter how tall or short he is.
It is very important to have good reflexes and a fast game reaction. The keeper should always be a team leader on and off the field, and have his teammates and coach always trust him.
If you are interested, you can click here to see my favorite goalkeeper gloves. You’ll find everything you need to know to choose the correct pair of gloves for you.
What to do if your short
The reason I mentioned the qualities of a good goalkeeper above is to make you see that, to most of them, doesn’t really matter if you’re tall or short, if you’re fat or thin.
Tall goalkeepers have an advantage over small ones? Maybe. You’ll just have to work harder to keep up, but never underestimate your opportunities of becoming a great goalkeeper if that is what you are passionate about.
Look at what you have that tall goalkeepers can’t have. Usually small players are faster and more agile than taller ones. A keeper with fast footwork and reaction is fundamental for the team. Use these to your advantage and demonstrate what your capable of.
Become a leader and the #1 team motivator. Transmit your security under the 3 posts to your teammates and suddenly, no matter how small you are, you’ll start to look bigger.
Here is a great video I found of some awesome drills for small keepers. Check it out.
In the other hand, if you’re a grown-up beginner, and you’re not actually sure of what position to play (and you have a short height, less than 6 feet ), I would not recommend committing fully to being a goalkeeper. Besides just playing below the 3 posts, tryout other field positions and see in which ones you perform better.
GK is not a good fit?
If after reading this article you still think Goalkeeper is not a good fit for you, don’t worry. There are plenty of positions to choose from where height doesn’t matter. I made a Guide to Choose the Best Soccer Position for You that will guide you to choose another position.
Do you have a training program?
No matter your position, you need to constantly improve your skill to play this game. Remember there is a lot of competition and you need to focus on improving your game if you want to get somewhere with this sport. The best to way get started is with a Soccer Training Program. Here is my article with the one I recommend.
Conclusion
The average goalkeeper height (1.89 meters, 6.2 feet) is a lot taller than I expected. Some of the shortest goalkeepers playing today are 1.83 meters (6 feet), which is still taller than most field players, however shorter than the average in the top leagues around the world. Average weight stands at 83 kilograms (184 pounds).
Meaning this that the ideal soccer goalkeeper prototype is a tall and thin player.
Being a tall goalkeeper gives you lots of advantages like capability of covering more space in the goal and more confidence in the air game.
In the other hand, being tall doesn’t guarantee you anything. Most of the great qualities of being a good goalkeeper doesn’t even have to do with height but with being a team leader and transmitting security on the field, reason why I would say to don’t give up as a goalkeeper if you are short.
Remember to download the excel sheet with the complete study I did to write this article (Click here to download the file).
Don’t let being short stopping you from becoming the best goalkeeper you can be. Go out there and start collecting lots of clean sheets for your team!