The Top 5 Best Headers of the Ball in Football History
The All-Time Greatest Headers of a Football in History!
Heading the ball in football is a special art.
Height is certainly a factor when helping a player to rise above defenders and prod home without using their feet.
However, as this article will prove, it is not a crucial factor when becoming one of the best headers of the ball in football history.
This list will miss out on so many talented players, who could have easily been included, so here are a few honourable mentions:
Andy Carroll, Duncan Edwards, Alan Shearer, Ian Wright, Andy Cole, Sergio Ramos and Olivier Giroud.
Read our top 5 best headers of the ball in football history!
1. Javier Hernandez: 5ft 7in
Despite only standing at just 5ft7in, Javier Hernandez, also known as Chicharito, has one of the most unorthodox techniques for heading a football.
From his audacious backwards header against Stoke City in 2010 to the simple poke home at the back post that the Mexican was used to, Chicharito was loved for being a poacher, a fox in the box.
Of the 53 goals scored in the Premier League, all were scored inside of the box. The only player to have scored more goals from inside the box in the competition is Tim Cahill.
This is just the Premier League, however. With spells with Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid, West Ham United and LA Galaxy, Hernandez has racked up 205 goals in 540 career club appearances.
This is without including Chicharito’s goals for Mexico. He scored 52 goals in 109 international appearances – the most in the nation’s history.
As a relatively small striker, the Mexican is a ‘fox in the box’, or as his nickname is translated- ‘the little pea’, and Chicharito’s goalscoring record is extremely impressive, especially for a striker known for incredible headed efforts.
Football seems to run in the Hernandez family. Chicharito is the third of a footballing trio, alongside his father, Javier Hernandez Gutierrez, who was known as ‘El Chicharo’, translating to ‘the pea’ due to his green eyes.
His grandfather Balcazar was also a legend with Mexico and Chivas. No wonder Chicharito makes this list of talented goalscorers!
2. John Charles: 6ft 2in
Do not let the nickname ‘The Gentle Giant’ confuse you. John Charles’ playing style was anything but gentle, known for his attacking power in the box and in the air, as well as his pace and strength.
It was also clear that the centre-forward possessed the ability to play as a centre-half, where the Welshman began his career while at Leeds United.
However, at the age of just 17, the defender was tested up top and managed to notch 11 goals in 6 matches.
From that moment, it was clear that Charles was destined to play as a forward.
The rest, they say, is history, as the striker went on to score 154 goals in 317 appearances for Leeds (during his two spells at the club) in a combined 9 years at the club.
After firing Leeds to promotion to the First Division, Charles would only experience 1 season in the league with the Whites, managing to rack up 38 goals in 40 games, before making the switch to Italy with Juventus, as the Old Lady broke the bank with a then-British record fee of £65,000 in 1957.
Charles then became a hero in Turin, helping Juventus to win 3 league titles and 2 Coppa Italia trophies.
“The Gentle Giant” would move onto Leeds once again, before playing for AS Roma, Cardiff City, Hereford Town and Merthyr Tydfil.
Despite Charles’ power and strength, the Welshman never picked up a single booking in his career, which may explain the nickname.
Those attributes do, however, explain his career total of almost 400 goals in just over 700 club appearances, many of which were scored with his head.
In addition to this, Charles will forever be seen as a Welsh legend, scoring 15 goals in 38 international caps.
John Charles was a true footballing great, with some even naming him as the greatest ever British footballer.
3. Christian Vieri: 6ft 1in
Holding the record for most headed goal in Serie A history, Christian Vieri comes in third on our list of the Top 5 Best Headers of the Ball in Football History.
Famous in Italy for his direct attacking style, with pace, power and aggression, Vieri was nicknamed ‘The Bull’ during his playing career.
However, he was plagued by injury throughout his career and, along with age, this would eventually slow the striker down, leaving him to flourish in the air with a natural aerial ability, rather than hunt defenders down and latch onto long balls.
Vieri’s CV looks rather impressive after leaving Torino, boasting spells at the likes of Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Lazio.
With 123 goals in 190 appearances at Inter, the forward’s most successful spell at a club came in his 6 seasons with the Black and Blues.
Despite only winning a single Serie A title and two Coppa Italia trophies, Vieri’s individual honours list is stacked to the rafters - Serie A Footballer of the Year 1999, Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year 1999 & 2002, Serie A Top Scorer 2002/03 and 1998 FIFA World Cup Silver Boot, to name just a few.
The 49-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest Italian strikers of all time and one of the top strikers of his generation.
Described as an “old fashioned centre-forward”, Vieri was comfortable scoring with both feet, planting a header into the net, or rocketing a volley from outside the box.
His ability to find space, anticipate defenders’ movement and his natural striking ability were the main reasons why the striker was so prolific.
4. Peter Crouch: 6ft 7in
In 2018, Peter Crouch entered into the Guinness World Record book for the most headed goals scored in the Premier League.
A tally of 51 goals over 19 campaigns in the league saw the giant overtake Alan Shearer, ending his career with 5 more than the former Blackburn and Newcastle talisman.
With a senior career spanning 21 years, scoring over 2 centuries of goals, Crouch is one of the most-loved attackers to ever grace English football.
At 6ft7in, his presence on and off the pitch was difficult to ignore, especially when busting out the robot celebration.
Due to his height, there were two main styles for which Crouch would be deployed. With a lack of significant pace and strength, the striker relied heavily on his ability in the air, hence his record number of headed goals.
Despite a general weakness for a striker of his stature, Crouch’s capability to hold up play was very impressive, bringing his teammates into the attack.
This would normally end with a whipped ball into the penalty area and Crouch on the end of it with a header or a volley.
With 42 international caps for England, Crouch performed on some of the biggest stages in world football, scoring 22 goals at FIFA World Cups, qualification for World Cups and UEFA European Championships, and friendlies.
The hat-trick against Jamaica was probably Crouch’s best moment for the Three Lions, with the majority of the other goals scruffy or simple tap-ins.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo: 6ft 1in
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players to kick or head a ball in the history of football.
The Portuguese forward is constantly battling for the best ever footballer, with Lionel Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona as his competitors.
It’s difficult to put into words quite how talented and incredible a player Ronaldo has truly been, despite the ongoing issues currently surrounding the superstar. His statistics, however, say all that really needs to be said.
Since 2002, Ronaldo has 813 goals, which tops the all-time list of top goalscorers.
Also, with the most goals in Champions League history and the most international goals scored, during his 191 Portugal caps, it will likely be a sad day when the veteran retires from the sport.
In total, Ronaldo boasts 701 club career goals in 951 appearances, with 112 of them being scored with his head, blowing every other player out of the water.
The 37-year-old’s style of play has drastically changed over the course of his career, going from a young, pacey, skilful winger to the experienced leader of the frontline that he is now.
Known for the extravagant and sublime, Ronaldo has scored all types of goals, from tap-ins to cheeky flicks, to long-range rockets, to incredible volleys- he has done it all!
With our list mainly focusing on the best headers of the ball, Ronaldo has one of the highest leaps in football, known for his header against Manchester United in the 2012/13 season, and another against Sampdoria during the 2019/20 season.
To compare Ronaldo’s highest jump of 41.7 inches against the Red Devils, Michael Jordan’s highest vertical jump comes in just over the star’s record, measuring 48 inches.
However, we all know the talent that Jordan possess when it comes to basketball.
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