Average Height and Weight of MLS Midfielders (2023)
I’ve been a collegiate sports performance coach for 20 years. One thing I always felt was effective was showing guys the heights and weights of players at their position in the pros.
It helped give many players the extra motivation needed to gain weight when they were able to compare themselves to guys at the next level.
So, this is essentially the same research I would share with players, but now I’m sharing it with you. I took the 30-man Rosters for the 2023 Major League Soccer season, over 700 players total and broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of the 256 midfielders across the league. In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest midfielders as well. Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random soccer knowledge.
Average Height of an MLS Midfielder
The average height of a major league soccer midfielder is 69.23 inches (roughly 5’9 1/4″).
Average Weight of an MLS Midfielder
The average weight of a major league soccer midfielder is 157.02 pounds.
Who are the Tallest Midfielders in Major League Soccer?
There are only 3 guys listed at 6’3″ or taller.
| Tallest Midfielders in the MLS | ||
| Player | Height | Team |
| Derrick Jones | 6’4″ | Charlotte FC |
| Max Schneider | 6’3″ | St Louis City SC |
| Keaton Parks | 6’3″ | New York City FC |
Who are the Shortest Midfielders in Major League Soccer?
There are seven midfielders in the league listed at 5’4″ or shorter.
| Shortest Midfielders in the MLS | ||
| Player | Height | Team |
| Daniel Rios | 5’1″ | Houston Dynamo |
| Luciano Acosta | 5’3″ | FC Cincinnati |
| Javier Casas | 5’4″ | Chicago Fire |
| Erik Duenas | 5’4″ | Los Angeles Football Club |
| Frankie Amaya | 5’4″ | New York Red Bulls |
| Lorenzo Insigne | 5’4″ | Toronto FC |
| Andres Cubas | 5’4″ | Vancouver Whitecaps |
Who are the Heaviest Midfielders in the MLS?
There are five players listed at 192 pounds or more.
| Heaviest Midfielders in the MLS | ||
| Player | Weight | Team |
| Eduard Lowen | 201 | St Louis City SC |
| Isak Jensen | 201 | St Louis City SC |
| Emiliano Rigoni | 192 | Austin FC |
| Michael Bradley | 192 | Toronto FC |
| Jack Price | 192 | Colorado Rapids |
Who are the Lightest Midfielders in the MLS?
Here are the six lightest midfielders in Major League Soccer, all weighing 130 pounds or less.
| Lightest Midfielders in the MLS | ||
| Player | Weight | Team |
| Riqui Puig | 123 | LA Galaxy |
| Nuno Santos | 126 | Charlotte FC |
| Erik Duenas | 130 | Los Angeles Football Club |
| Lorenzo Insigne | 130 | Toronto FC |
| Ozzie Cisneros | 130 | Sporting Kansas City |
| Martin Ojeda | 130 | Orlando City |
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
Soccer midfielders are the smallest position group of any major sport. (Quite a bit smaller than MLS Defenders as well)
It makes sense that players that cover 6 or 7 miles (and oftentimes more) during the course of a game would be lighter. Speed, quickness and skill are all much more beneficial as opposed to size.
Even the lightest player in all of the NFL, wide receiver KaVontae Turpin, would be about an average midfielder at 153 pounds.
Not all midfielders are necessarily small though. Guys like Eduard Lowen at 6’2″ and 201 pounds or Isak Jensen at 6’1″ and 201 pounds are big enough to fit in pretty much any sport.
Finally, if you’d like to see the full position-by-position breakdown, check out the average heights and weights of major league soccer players by position.
