Anthropometry and Football
Although it is not the most important component of fitness, body size and composition (anthropometry) is one factor for a successful football player that should be considered.
What Measurements?
Important anthropometrical measures include body fat (skinfolds), body weight, and height. Body fat can be measured using the skinfold method. If this is not available, monitoring body weight changes would give an indication of body fat changes, assuming no change in muscle mass. The excess body fat would affect the football player's ability to move freely around the field, and the extra weight will increase fatigue. Height and arm span reach are particularly important for goalkeepers.
Anthropometry and Elite Football Players
We have collated and compared some data of elite football players.
- World Cup Players — comparing the height and weight data of FIFA teams for the years 2002, 2006 and 2018, which included the height, weight, position played and age of each player.
- 2018 World Cup — we have analyzed the 2018 World Cup player data provided by FIFA, which included the height, weight, position played and age of all squads of each nation represented (736 players). The players' BMI was calculated from the height and weight data.
- Olympic Football — comparison of the anthropometric data from the Olympic football players at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
- Height — see our list of the tallest international football players
Related Pages
- Fitness testing for football
- Olympic Games Anthropometry for other sports in 2012
- All about fitness testing, including anthropometry testing
- Poll about the fitness components for soccer
- Who Is The Fittest Footballer (Soccer Player) Ever?
- Fitness for Soccer
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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