Japanese football legend Kazuyoshi Miura, famously known as "King Kazu," has extended his remarkable career into a 40th professional season, playing at the age of 58.
Miura made a brief but symbolic appearance on Sunday for Atletico Suzuka Club in the Japan Football League — the fourth tier of Japanese football — coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute and contributing to a 2-1 victory. At 58 years and 109 days old, he remains Japan’s oldest active professional footballer and likely holds that distinction globally.
Although he didn’t find the net, Miura expressed gratitude after the match. “I’m glad I was able to contribute,” he said. “Thanks to help from my teammates and trainers, I’ve been able to make it this far. Now I want to raise my game even more.”
Miura returned to Japan in 2024 after a two-year spell with Portuguese second-division side Oliveirense, where he played nine matches on loan from Yokohama FC, AFP reports.
His professional journey began in 1986 with Brazilian club Santos, and his storied career has taken him across the globe, with stints in Italy, Croatia, Australia, and Portugal. A defining figure in Asian football during the 1990s, Miura played a key role in boosting the sport’s popularity in Japan, especially after the launch of the J-League in 1993.
Despite scoring 55 goals in 89 appearances for the national team, Miura was famously excluded from Japan’s squad for their first-ever FIFA World Cup in 1998 — a decision still debated by fans.
Now in his sixth decade of life, Miura continues to defy the limits of age in professional sport, inspiring fans worldwide with his enduring passion and dedication to the game.
