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3 min readNew DelhiJun 19, 2026 09:18 PM IST
With each of the 48 competing teams having played at least once in FIFA World Cup 2026, the early markers have been laid down. Speed, as always holds special allure, and the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are expectedly in the conversation.
Neither of them are on top though, according to the BBC-cited official physical tracking data released by the global governing body. Australia defender Jordan Bos is number one with a best speed of 36.7 kilometres per hour, achieved during the Socceroos’ 2-0 win over Turkiye.
The 23-year-old Feyenoord full-back has pipped Haaland, who recorded a top speed of 36.5kph en route Norway’s 4-1 thrashing of Iraq. The striker’s Manchester City teammate and Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov stands a close third (also 36.5kph), while another Aussie player Mohamed Toure is fourth (35.8kph) in the list.
Comparison with other sports
To put these numbers in context, Usain Bolt achieved a top speed of 44.7kph while notching up his world-record 100m sprint timing of 9.58 seconds at the 2009 IAAF World Championships. In cricket, former India captain MS Dhoni recorded a top speed of 31kph while running between the wickets during a T20I against Australia in 2017.
Outrunning @msdhoni seems impossible! Catch the analysis on his ⚡️-quick runs on #NerolacCricketLive on Oct 13 on Star Sports. pic.twitter.com/rPbtbmsKES
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 11, 2017
Over in tennis, Serbian legend Novak Djokovic has in the past registered a maximum on-court speed of 36kph. NFL running backs are known to clock highest speeds of around 29-30kph, and elite NBA players like De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Maxey get similar peak velocities.
Who is Jordan Bos?
Hailing from Melbourne, Bos joined Melbourne City’s academy as a 13-year-old. He rose in stature as well as reputation in his teenage years, rapidly gaining the inches before joining Westerlo for around 2 million Australian dollars.
Australia defender Jordan Bos is the fastest player with a speed of 36.7 kilometres per hour. (AP)
He went on to have an impressive two years at the Belgian club before moving to Dutch giants Feyenoord in July 2025 for around 9 million AUD. The youngster is fresh off a rollicking season, positioning himself as one of Eredivisie’s most exciting full-backs.
Bos was named player of the month for September and with his four goals and six assists, helped the Rotterdam-based club finish second in the league and earn a Champions League berth.
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