Record Jumps in Football
Footballers are highly athletic, and jumps represent one of the parameters to measure their fitness. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best cases when it comes to fitness.
The Manchester United player looks after his health incredibly well. Who has the highest jump in football?
Let us check some of the players with the highest jump in football, which means that they put in lots of work into their fitness.
10. Andy Carroll
Despite being the biggest transfer blunders in the history of English football, Carroll remains one of the players with the highest header jump in football.
Carroll’s ponytail may be an eye sore, but he can surely jump relatively higher than Wayne Rooney.
Carroll’s goalscoring ability is not as good as that of Alan Smith during her prime.
The former Newcastle and Liverpool player had a disastrous career and one plagued with injuries, but he deserves the tenth spot on the list.
9. John Terry
Possibly the best defender from the Chelsea Academy ever and the best in the premier league.
The former Chelsea player is not only tall and strong, but he is also great at reading the game and good aerially.
Terry was the highest jumper in the Blues’ squad before the emergence of Didier Drogba.
If you ask Wayne Bridge, his former international and Chelsea teammate, Terry is not the best defender in the world since he had an affair with his wife.
8. Bruno Alves
Alves is possibly the best Portuguese defender at the moment and remains among the highest jumper in the national team squad.
The player spent most of his playing years at Porto but currently has a contract with Fenerbahce FC. The defender measures 6ft 2.5in, which makes him good aerially.
Alves has thrived in aerial duels, and he has saved Porto and Portugal on multiple occasions.
He remains a regular starter for country and club and has one of the highest jumps in football history despite being thirty-three years of age.
7. Marouane Fellaini
Fellaini is not new to many. The Belgian international can play as a lone striker whose role is simply to head crosses towards the goal.
He can also play as a midfielder and anchor-man, disrupting the opposition’s flow.
Furthermore, Fellaini can also be used as a defender when the goal is to preserve a lead.
A utility player indeed! It is the reason former Manchester United coach, David Moyes purchased him from Everton. He has one of the highest jumps in football.
6. David Luiz
Luiz’s height is just average, the same as is the case for most Brazilian defenders. However, the defender is well-known for his huge aerial presence during corners both offensively and defensively.
Except for Gary Cahill and John Terry, Luiz was dominant aerially during games for Chelsea.
The most attractive aspect about David Luiz is that he could play in multiple positions, including defense, midfield, and even a winger.
David Luiz is not only a high jumper but also a sprinter as seen in most games when he was with Chelsea and Arsenal.
5. Radamel Falcao
Falcao may seem hapless today, which is what happens to players from long-term injury- but he remains one of the most lethal forwards globally.
He has scored countless goals for AS Monaco, and many were due to his jumping ability.
In the modern game, it is not easy to find a 5ft-9 player that can jump as high as 6ft 4in.
Atletico Madrid and Porto benefited significantly from his goals when he was their player. We hope that we shall see some glimpses of him before he retires.
4. Tim Cahill
Wait… where is Tim Cahill? We barely hear much about the Australian especially after he moved from Everton.
His whereabouts notwithstanding, Cahill is a great header of the ball and dangerous aerially within the penalty box. He scored countless goals for Everton.
The Aussie is possibly the greatest goal poacher of all time. At thirty-five, Cahill still has an instinct for goals and remains one of the best strikers from Australia.
3. Gareth Bale
Many might be surprised to see Gareth Bale on the list because he has not scored so many from headers throughout his footballing career.
On the contrary, Bale has the highest jump in football in feet. Before moving forward, the forward was a defender where jumping is a necessity.
Even though it is easy to get tempted to compare Bale with Ronaldo, they tend to have completely distinct attributes.
The defender-cum-forward was previously with Tottenham before moving to Real Madrid and ultimately MLS.
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Ibrahimovic is surely a high jumping athlete and among the tallest players globally.
His photo above will prove to the doubting Thomases that he is indeed tall. However, being tall is one thing, and throwing your legs and arms recklessly is another.
Ibra is hated by many defenders because has tended to hurt opponents with his kung fu skills.
For his fans, he uses his skills to intimidate the opposition and win crosses and corners.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese have the world’s highest jump record in football, considering he can also double his vertical height from a jump.
Many analysts are baffled seeing Cristiano Ronaldo defying the law of gravity despite his age.
Defenders that have to defend freekicks and corners against the forward should count their lucky stars.
Conclusion
Being tall and jumping are two different aspects of football. Andy Carroll might be taller than Cristiano but certainly not the highest jumper.
It all boils down to effort and persistence to hold the highest jump record in football.