Former NBA Player Breaks Record For Tallest Footballer Ever: How Does He Rank Among World’s Most Popular Sports’ Tallest Athletes?

In a crossover no one saw coming, ex-NBA star Pavel Podkolzin debuted for FC Amkal Moscow in the men’s Russian Cup, becoming the tallest footballer ever.

Photo: Pavel Podkolzin before his debut for Amkal (screenshot: https://www.instagram.com/433/)

Two sports worlds—basketball and football—have collided recently, as former NBA player Pavel Podkolzin debuted for FC Amkal Moscow in the 2025-26 Fonbet Russian Cup. As of now, he’s the tallest footballer in the world.

Podkolzin, a Russian native, played in the NBA and NBA Development League, and he now went viral for his height. But in basketball, you expect to see tall players like him because it’s a physical sport that demands tall players for the most part.

So, a few days ago, Podkolzin, who used to cover the center position when he played basketball, became the tallest player in the history of the game. The 40-year-old—who’s 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)—lined up for Amkal against FC Kaluga in the second round of this season’s national cup. His team won 3-1 and progressed to the next round.

How Podkolzin Fared in NBA

He played only 6 games in the NBA and, overall, couldn’t make a career in the greatest basketball league in the world. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2004 but was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Not only that, but he was projected to be a high-ranked pick; however, he was the Jazz’s 21st pick in the NBA Draft 21 years ago. He dropped back into the lower division.

Podkolzin is now earning his living as a football player, and his highlights have become a sensation on the Internet. As a giant among his rivals, as you’d expect, Podkolzin was assigned to play center-forward for his team, hanging around for high balls. He hasn’t scored his first goal for a capital club yet. Amkal is one of the most popular media football clubs in Russia (media football is a type of football where the teams consist mostly of celebrities). The club has been invited to the Russian Cup since the 2022–23 season, and that’s the only professional competition they take part in.

10 World’s Most Popular Sports’ Tallest Athletes

From giants to legends who didn’t need height to conquer—sports have had them all. From Suleiman Ali Nashnush in basketball at 2.45 m (8′0.5″) to Hans-Joachim Stuck in Formula 1 at 1.98 m (6′6″), these giants towered over their competition. Active participants among those in question in the age of modern sports trends have influenced the odds of top betting sites when their teams, or they themselves, play.

Some are big, some are bold, some are the tallest in their sports because they came from sports where height is important, and some are the tallest in their sports because the average height is short. But they’ve all made their mark, or will soon.

Our list spans the 10 world’s most popular sports:

• Basketball – Suleiman Ali Nashnush (Libya) – 2.45 m
• Golf – Paul Sturgess (England) – 2.31 m
• Football – Pavel Podkolzin (Russia) – 2.26 m
• Volleyball – Wutthichai Suksala (Thailand) – 2.24 m
• Cricket – Mohammad Irfan (Pakistan) – 2.16 m
• Baseball – Jon Rauch (USA) – 2.16 m
• Ice hockey – Alexander Karmanov (Moldova) – 2.13 m
• American football – Richard Sligh (USA) – 2.13 m
• Tennis – Ivo Karlović (Croatia) & Reilly Opelka (USA) – 2.11 m
• Formula 1 – Hans-Joachim Stuck (Germany) 1.94 m