Average Height and Weight of MLS Soccer Players (2023)
I’ve been a collegiate sports performance coach for 20 years. Over my career, I always felt it was extremely effective to show 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, these are essentially the same numbers I would share with players I’m now sharing with you. I took the active 30-man rosters for the 2023 Major League Soccer season, over 700 players total and then broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of each position group across the league.
In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest players as well regardless of position. Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random soccer knowledge.
Average Height of an MLS Player by Position
The average height of a major league soccer player is 70.98 inches (just under 5’11”), with the tallest position being Goalkeeper at 74.56 (over 6’2 1/2″).
| Average Major League Soccer Player Height | ||
| Position | Height (inches) | Height* (ft/inches) |
| Overall | 70.98 | 5’11” |
| Goalkeeper | 74.56 | 6’2 1/2″ |
| Forward | 70.63 | 5’10 3/4″ |
| Midfielder | 69.23 | 5’9 1/4″ |
| Defender | 71.85 | 5’11 3/4″ |
*Rounded to the nearest quarter-inch.
Average Weight of an MLS Player by Position
The average weight of a major league soccer player is 166.01 pounds.
| Average Major League Soccer Player Weight | |
| Position | Weight (pounds) |
| Overall | 166.01 |
| Goalkeeper | 186.2 |
| Forward | 164.41 |
| Midfielder | 157.02 |
| Defender | 169.71 |
Who Are The Tallest Players in Major League Soccer?
There are 8 players listed at 6’6″ or taller – half goalkeepers and half defenders.
| Tallest Players in the MLS | |||
| Player | Height | Position | Team |
| Matthew Nocita | 6’8″ | Defender | New York Red Bulls |
| Hunter Sulte | 6’7″ | Goalkeeper | Portland Timbers |
| Ben Lundt | 6’6″ | Goalkeeper | St Louis City SC |
| Javier Otero | 6’6″ | Goalkeeper | Orlando City |
| Benjamin Martino | 6’6″ | Goalkeeper | Nashville SC |
| Jackson Ragen | 6’6″ | Defender | Seattle Sounders FC |
| Aime Mabika | 6’6″ | Defender | Inter Miami CF |
| Jack Elliott | 6’6″ | Defender | Philadelphia Union |
Who are the Shortest Players in Major League Soccer?
There are 9 players 5’4″ or shorter, the majority of them are midfielders.
| Shortest Players in the MLS | |||
| Player | Height | Position | Team |
| Daniel Rios | 5’1″ | Midfielder | Houston Dynamo |
| Luciano Acosta | 5’3″ | Midfielder | FC Cincinnati |
| Michael Barrios | 5’4″ | Forward | Colorado Rapids |
| Cameron Dunbar | 5’4″ | Forward | Minnesota United |
| Javier Casas | 5’4″ | Midfielder | Chicago Fire |
| Erik Duenas | 5’4″ | Midfielder | Los Angeles Football Club |
| Frankie Amaya | 5’4″ | Midfielder | New York Red Bulls |
| Lorenzo Insigne | 5’4″ | Midfielder | Toronto FC |
| Andres Cubas | 5’4″ | Midfielder | Vancouver Whitecaps |
Who are the Heaviest Players in the MLS?
Here are the eight heaviest guys in the league, all 209 pounds or more.
| Heaviest Players in the MLS | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Evan Louro | 225 | Goalkeeper | FC Cincinnati |
| Ben Lundt | 220 | Goalkeeper | St Louis City SC |
| Aime Mabika | 214 | Defender | Inter Miami CF |
| Fred Emmings | 209 | Goalkeeper | Minnesota United |
| John Pulskamp | 209 | Goalkeeper | Sporting Kansas City |
| Alex Bono | 209 | Goalkeeper | DC United |
| Preston Judd | 209 | Forward | LA Galaxy |
| Tim Melia | 209 | Goalkeeper | Sporting Kansas City |
Who are the Lightest Players in the MLS?
Here are the ten lightest guys in Major League Soccer, all weighing 130 pounds or less.
| Lightest Players in the MLS | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Riqui Puig | 123 | Midfielder | LA Galaxy |
| Nuno Santos | 126 | Midfielder | Charlotte FC |
| Anthony Sorenson | 126 | Defender | Philadelphia Union |
| Edwin Mosquera | 128 | Forward | Atlanta United |
| Erik Duenas | 130 | Midfielder | Los Angeles Football Club |
| Lorenzo Insigne | 130 | Midfielder | Toronto FC |
| Ozzie Cisneros | 130 | Midfielder | Sporting Kansas City |
| Edison Azcona | 130 | Forward | Inter Miami CF |
| Jojea Kwizera | 130 | Forward | CF Montreal |
| Martin Ojeda | 130 | Midfielder | Orlando City |
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
I always tell people it’s hard to wrap your head around how big the NBA Guards are.
This is because the only context most people have is seeing them on the court next to guys that are 7 feet tall. This makes them look small even though most guards are around 6’4″ and would easily be one of the biggest people in almost any other social situation.
Soccer players are somewhat the opposite. The average player is only around 5’11”, at least a few inches shorter than players of other major sports.
On top of that, there are only 30 players out of 735 that weigh 200 pounds. Crazy considering 200 pounds (or more) is the average size of many professional athletes.
This all makes sense though. It’s a sport where speed, skill and a tremendous amount of conditioning are critical for success.
Height can be helpful for goalkeepers for obvious reasons and it can also be beneficial for players to play corners and crosses in the air. Being heavy though is more of a disadvantage than an advantage like it is in other sports.
