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Which Nation Has the Tallest Squad at the World Cup?

Sameer Bhatia | June 16, 2026 5:10 AM CST

Football is entering a new era, and even the World Cup is reflecting that transformation.

In the previous Premier League season, there was a notable shift toward physical dominance, with Arsenal making full use of their set-piece strength to end a 22-year wait for the championship.

Under Mikel Arteta, the champions secured an impressive 25 non-penalty goals from dead-ball situations in the English top flight during the last campaign.

This strategy, which proved successful for the Gunners, appears set to influence the international stage as well — particularly since several of their players are part of England’s World Cup squad.

Multiple national teams are also focusing on physicality and height for this summer’s tournament in North America, as revealed by FIFA’s official data on the tallest squads.

All 48 nations competing in the World Cup were ranked according to their average team height, with each of the top five sides comfortably exceeding six feet on average.

The Czech Republic lead in terms of the number of tall players, with 10 members of Miroslav Koubek’s 26-man squad measuring above 190 centimetres.

However, their overall team average stands at 185.7 cm, just behind Belgium, who take fourth place with a slightly higher 185.8 cm.

Sweden’s focus on physical strength prompted manager Graham Potter to include several towering players, with Gustaf Nilsson and Jacob Widell Zetterström the tallest at 197 cm.

The top position is shared by Norway — led by their star striker Erling Haaland, who stands at 195 cm — and Bosnia & Herzegovina, both boasting an average squad height of 187.2 cm.

The tallest individual player at the World Cup is Austria’s goalkeeper Florian Wiegele, standing at an impressive 205 cm — nearly four inches taller than Haaland.

At the opposite end, Saudi Arabia are the smallest team overall, averaging 178.4 cm, while Panama’s Cesar Yanis is the shortest player in the tournament at 160 cm.

Nonetheless, as the 170 cm Lionel Messi has consistently shown, greatness in football is not determined by height.