Soccer is not exactly a height-requiring sport. But when tall players are on the pitch, they just cannot go unnoticed, with their bodies towering over opponents, and they mostly make a saying contribution to their respective positions.
In the world of female soccer, where speed, agility, and technical skills are more of a norm, being the tallest players looks like a skyscraper in a city of bungalows.
These tall athletes bring to their game a unique combination of strengths and challenges.
The height they boast of helps them win most of the aerial duels and gives them ample view of the field; it can also be a kind of double-edged sword, whereby the physical demands of soccer can sometimes be more grueling for such players.
Some unfair stereotypes attach to them, like being slower and less agile compared to their shorter counterparts. Even so, amongst all these challenges, some of the tallest women soccer players have really left a mark in this game by showing height is not a hindrance but a blessing.
Now, let’s get into the careers of seven of the tallest female professional footballers to ever grace the beautiful game, both active and retired ones who have made some great contributions.
1. Wendie Renard (France) – 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Starting off in full gear is none other than powerhouse women’s footballer Wendie Renard. The French center-back and captain of Olympique Lyonnais Féminin happens to be the tallest female soccer player and one of the most successful.
Measuring an incredible 1.87 m, Renard has always used her height to shine on the pitch, both in the defense and offense areas, but more so on aerial domination.
Renard’s career has been nothing but exemplary.
With Lyon, she has managed to collect several French championships and UEFA Women’s Champions League credits, which have been enough to establish her as one of the best defenders of her generation.
She is a midfielder coupled with great physicality, which makes her a force to reckon with whenever she is on the pitch. Renard is also the first player to have reached 100 UEFA Women’s Champions League appearances, further underlining her experience and longevity within the game.
It’s, however, not only her defense abilities that make up the Frenchwoman.
She scores from set-play scenarios, with towering advantage on her side that has come in the form of fierce headers and, seldom, but effectively, found their accuracy in net finds that have been mostly silver bullets in defining matches.
They usually feel they need to be at the top of their game to stop Renard, but more often than not she’ll find a way to let her presence be felt.
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2. Taylor Kornieck (USA) – 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Next in line is Taylor Kornieck.
She is one of the best exciting young prospects of American soccer. Taylor Kornieck, who is 1.85 meters, 6 feet 1 inch, is an enormous towering midfielder, who has already made a big name by playing with the San Diego Wave and the U.S. Women’s National Team in a short-spin of her career.
Kornieck has been rising to stardom at an amazing pace.
The Colorado native first burst into national reckoning as a top talent in the U19 squad and had since notched a couple more caps under the senior squad in 2022.
Meanwhile, at club level, she has equally excelled, beginning with even once scooping NWSL Player of the Week honors during her rookie season.
And she has a large advantage in the air, as Kornieck puts that to use in dominating midfield battles. Her size gets complemented with physicality, technique, and vision to dominate the tempo of the game and set up chances in front of the goal—end-to-end scorer since her recruit.
“Future” belongs to the brightest rowers of the world in the person of Kornieck – in the future, thanks to her height, she will become one of the key strikers for the United States national team.
3. Samantha Mewis (USA) – 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Another American star in this list is the lady popularly known by the nickname “Sam,” Samantha Mewis.
At 1.83 meters tall, which is 6 feet, she has been one of the building blocks in U.S. Women’s National Team success for the past decade. Her height, athleticism, and technical ability blend into making an athletic midfielder who plays on both ends of the field.
Career highlights for Mewis include winning the 2019 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, for which she was such an important piece of the victorious U.S. team.
Mewis, considered one of the top players in the world, easily played her midfield enforcer role, winning key battles in the air, breaking up play, and scoring on occasion.
At the club level, Mewis played in teams from the NWSL and the English Women’s Super League—a prime example of where credible talent lay on both sides of the Atlantic.
Entering the twilight years of her career, she continues to be an important player at both club and country level, with an impact felt in the game that will remain for a long time.
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4. Abby Wambach (USA) – 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
A name synonymous with greatness in women’s football.
The 1.80-meter (5 feet 11 inches) retired American forward is one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the game. To add to this, her height and good build made her a defender’s nightmare during aerial duels where she was almost unbeatable.
Wambach has a career full of hundreds of honors, two Olympic gold medals, and a FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also holds the record for the most international goals scored by a female player, registering 184 goals for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
In 2012, Wambach became the first American woman to win FIFA World Player of the Year in more than a decade.
Beyond her abilities as a prolific scorer, Wambach is a leader on and off the field, serving as an inspiration to a generation of young soccer players with her continued determination, work ethic, and evident love for the game.
5. Birgit Prinz (Germany) – 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Regarded as one of Germany’s best female footballers; at the same time, the striker was the biggest active player at the very height of 1.79 meters.
At a towering height of 5 feet 10 inches, Prinz made her name through scoring and leadership skills on the field.
Prinz began the game more than a decade ago, winning three FIFA Women’s World Cup titles and two German Olympic bronze medals with the German national team.
She was also named the FIFA World Player of the Year from 2003 to 2005, emphasizing that she was really on top of the game at that period.
Prinz’s height gave her an edge in taking physical challenges. Heck, it even allowed her to bully through defenders with abhorrent strength and tuck in important goals. Since retiring, Prinz has taken to coaching to continue her work with the women’s teams in fortifying the growth in female soccer in Germany.
6. Ada Hegerberg (Norway) – 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
The 179 cm (5 ft 10 in) tall Norwegian striker has been a dominant force in European football for years, especially with Olympique Lyonnais Féminin.
Hegerberg made history in 2018 when she won the Women’s Ballon d’Or, belonging to the title of the best female footballer in the world.
She has, on her part, been an epitome of the goal-scoring ability, doing pretty well both at home and internationally in competitions.
After several years’ absence from international football, Hegerberg returned to the Norway national team in 2021, scoring a hat trick in her first game back.
One of the world’s most feared strikers by opponents because of that height, strength, and technique combined, going on to be a standout player for both club and country, she is.
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7. Graham Hansen Caroline (Norway) – 1.78 m
Closing in or we wrap is Caroline Graham Hansen. She represents Norway as a winger, most electric dribbler, and a fine technician. She may be among our list’s shortest, measuring 1.78 meters, but her influence on the field isn’t anything close to that.
Hansen has been a key player for FC Barcelona Femení, whose contribution has helped the club reach unprecedented levels of performance, such as triumphing multiple times in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Her strong and tall pace, with tall stride builds versatility, in the attacking line, therefore enabling her to strike a goal from the right or left wing, as well as from the mid-center position.
Hansen can set up goals for her teammates, but with her acute goal sense, also hit many crucial goals for her own side, which continues to make her a growing sensation in this format of the game-football.
Her presence in the game goes far beyond her physical abilities. She is just a leader and game-changer, able to turn the match over with a moment of brilliance.
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