Cristiano Ronaldo’s Height is as Good as it Gets

Cristiano Ronaldo is an example of someone who stays in shape 24/7 365 days a year. That's why his physical image is profound and he has become a staple for fitness goals the world over.


He clearly looks taller than average, both on and off the pitch, but how tall is he exactly? Well that's what we aim to find out on this page, so let's get into all things height related to Ronaldo! 

cristiano ronaldo

Real Height

The average Portuguese man stands at around 5'8" tall, and Ronaldo is 5 inches taller than this, at 6'1", making him well above average height. He is also perfectly built for his style of play on the football field, being fast-paced with high jumps and headers into the back of the net. 


Rapid Growth as a Teen

During his early teenage years at the academy, Ronaldo's growth was monitored, as the book Ronaldo : the obsession for perfection (1) mentions, they would:


"monitor his bone density to see what his maximum height will eventually be. It looks promising — all being well he should reach 1.85 metres."


He was also listed at 5'10.5" (179cm) during his playing time in his hometown club Sporting CP, prior to being signed at Man United aged 18, where he was listed at 6'1" (185 cm) thereafter. So it appears Ronaldo did indeed reach his potential adult height. Genetics, diet and fitness may well have played a huge role in this. 


Adult Measurements

In the video/documentary for Castrol EDGE referenced in the below video, Ronaldo is laser measured at 185.1 cm, just 0.3cm under 6'1" tall.


Waxwork Measurement

In 2013 Ronaldo was measured for a self-waxwork model at 185 cm, which he spent £20.000 on for his mansion. He was wearing football boots, but had a wider stance, slightly losing height. He would most likely measure very close to 6'1", maybe a quarter inch under this mark. With pictures of the final result, he looks very close in height.


Football Listings

He is currently listed at 1.87m tall or 6'1.6" for Real Madrid, which is a whole 2cm more than previous listings of 185cm. 


Football Position

Sources slightly vary, but in general it is believed that the average height of a professional footballer is around 5'11" (180.3 cm). The average height for Ronaldo's position of forward/striker is around 5'11.5" (181.6 cm), so he is roughly 2.5 inches above the average. 


Weight Listing

Ronaldo is generally listed at 80-83 KG or 176.4-183 pounds. 


How Tall Does he Appear Next to others?

Ronaldo can appear shorter than 6'1". If we take a look at Ronaldo next to other football stars such as 5'9" Wayne Rooney in 2007 training sessions for Manchester United, side by side Wayne appears to be 3.5 inches shorter. This puts Ronaldo at 6'0.5", under the 6'1" he is listed at. 


In other instances, we can see Ronaldo looking taller than 6'1". Next to Neymar who stands at 5'8", instances include a 2019 boxing commercial we can also see around a 5 inch difference in height. Again, on/off the pitch there appears to be a 5-5.5 inch difference. This once again translates to Ronaldo standing comfortably at 6'1"-6'1.5" tall.


Finally, to mix things up a little, we will compare Ronaldo's height to Connor McGregor, who stands at 5'8.5'. When they met in Connor's gym in 2016, Ronaldo is wearing 1 inch Nike shoes and appeared 5.5 inches taller than Connor. This translates to him appearing 6'1" tall. 


Of course, we have to take into consideration that the players compared here might be slightly under or over the given height. I would say that Ronaldo does appear around the 6'1" range he is commonly listed. 


Height vs Messi

With the ongoing comparisons between Lionel Messi and Ronaldo over the years it would only be fair to compare both player's heights. 


Ronaldo's height is perfectly suited to his position, for optimum speed, a fast pace, using his own momentum to send the ball into the back of the net. Refiring to his younger playing days, Cristiano Ronaldo: the biography mentions that: "At a height of almost 1.90 meters, he enjoyed exploiting his speed with a long running stride." (2)


In contrast, Messi's height of 1.69cm, 5'6.5" perfectly suits a low center of gravity, with superb balance and controlling the ball closer to the ground.


How Tall is Ronaldo's Wife Georgina Rodriguez?

Ronaldo's wife, Georgina Rodriguez appears around a head shorter than Ronaldo when both wearing flat shoes. She is listed as high as 5'6" online, but in reality appears closer to 5'4"-5'5" tall. 


On another note, one of the tallest women Ronaldo dated in the early 2000s was Gisele Bündchen, standing at 5'10" (177.8 cm). Now Tom Brady's wife, she's happily married with 3 children!


How High Can Ronaldo Jump?

Sometimes it amazes me the height Ronaldo can jump with A1 precision to score a goal. Naturally, height does play a part in jumping ability. As the book Cristiano Ronaldo : the biography (2) mentions: 


"strength and height help him lift off with five times more power than his body weight, reaching seventy-eight centimetres." "That is seven centimetres higher than the average for NBA players (Michael Jordan could reach 1.20 metres)"

 

This is evidenced in the video below, where we can see Ronaldo jumping a 'max vert' putting in the max effort, measuring in at roughly 31 inches. However when on the pitch and filled with adrenaline, he can clearly jump higher than this, with estimated headers between 2.13 and 2.63 meters! 


However, there is no measuring device when players are on the pitch. 

Height VS Top Earning Footballers

According to data from Forbes (3), in 2021 Ronaldo Topped the list as the highest earning footballer on the planet! Let's compare his height to players in the top 10. 


  1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, $125, 6'1" (185.4 cm)
  2. Lionel Messi, Argentina, $110m, 5'6.5" (168.9 cm)
  3. Neymar Jr, Paris Saint-Germain, $95m, 5'8" (172.7 cm)
  4. Kylian Mbappé, Paris Saint-Germain, $43m, 5'10" (177.8 cm)
  5. Mohamed Salah, Egypt, $41m, 5'8" (172.7 cm)
  6. Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich, $35m, 6'0" (182.9 cm)
  7. Andres Iniestsa, Vissel Kobs, $35m, 5'7.25" (170.8 cm)
  8. Paul Pogba, Manchester United, $34m, 6'3.25" (191.1 cm)
  9. Gareth Bale, Real Madrid, $32m, 6'0.5" (184.2 cm)
  10. Eden Hazard, Real Madrid, $29m, 5'7.5" (171.5 cm)

Findings

  • The average height of the list comes to exactly 5'10" (177.8 cm), which is 3 inches shorter than Ronaldo
  • Ronaldo ranks 2nd tallest on the list. The tallest man on the list is Paul Pogba at 6'3.25" which is 2.25 inches taller than Ronaldo
  • The shortest man on the list is Lionel Messi at 5'6.5", which is 6.5 inches shorter than Ronaldo

The difference in height between the tallest and shortest man on the list is 8.75 inches. This proves that football is a sport where being either a tall or short height has its benefits for different skill sets. 


The Goal Line (Conclusion)

After the height listings, comparisons, laser measurements and so on, it's quite obvious Ronaldo is in the 6'1" range of height. He might wake up over this mark, and go to bed under it, but to say he isn't 6'1" for (185.4 cm) the majority of the day would be a straight up fabrication.


Related Heights

  1. Dolores Aveiro, Mother, 5'9" (175.3 cm) peak
  2. José Dinis Aveiro, Father, 6'0" (182.9 cm)
  3. Ricky Regufe, Best Friend, 5'6" (167.6 cm)
  4. Irina Shayk, ex-girlfriend, 5'9" (175.3 cm)
  5. Fabio Coentrao, Friend and ex teammate (Real Madrid), 5'10" (177.8 cm)

References

1: Ronaldo : the obsession for perfection by Caioli, L. (Luca), 1958- Publication date 2012, page 25

2: Cristiano Ronaldo : the biography, by Balagué, Guillem, 2015, page 196, 165

3: Forbes: The World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2021: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo Reclaims Top Spot From PSG’s Lionel Messi

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