Size is shaping up to be a talking point at FIFA World Cup 2026, with official FIFA data revealing the average squad heights for all 48 competing nations — and some of the numbers are striking.

The tallest squads at the tournament

Norway and Bosnia & Herzegovina share the top spot, both averaging 187.2cm per player. Norway's squad includes talisman Erling Haaland, who stands at 195cm, though the tournament's single tallest player is Austria goalkeeper Florian Wiegele, who measures an extraordinary 205cm — nearly four inches taller than Haaland.

Sweden also feature prominently in the upper reaches of the height rankings. Manager Graham Potter assembled a physically imposing squad, with Gustaf Nilsson and Jacob Widell Zetterstrom each reaching 197cm, making them the joint-tallest outfield players in the tournament.

Belgium finish fourth with an average squad height of 185.8cm, while the Czech Republic come in fifth at 185.7cm. The Czechs boast the most towering individual headcount — ten players in Miroslav Koubek's 26-man squad stand above 190cm — yet their overall average is pulled down by shorter squad members.

Every team inside the top five averages above six feet, underlining how physical build has become a deliberate tactical consideration for several national team managers heading into North America this summer.

Set pieces and the Arsenal influence

The trend mirrors a shift seen in club football, most notably in last season's Premier League, where Arsenal's set-piece mastery played a decisive role in ending their 22-year wait for the title. Mikel Arteta's side converted 25 non-penalty goals from dead-ball situations, a record that has not gone unnoticed internationally. Several Arsenal players are expected to form a significant part of England's World Cup squad, potentially bringing that same set-piece philosophy to the international stage.

The smallest squads

At the opposite end of the scale, Saudi Arabia rank as the shortest squad in the tournament with an average height of 178.4cm. Panama's Cesar Yanis is the shortest individual player at 160cm.

Yet as the career of the 170cm Lionel Messi has demonstrated time and again, stature alone does not determine success on the football pitch.