The world’s oldest professional footballer is back on the pitch in his 40th season—and he’s made it clear he’s not planning to stop anytime soon.
Kazuyoshi Miura, affectionately known as “King Kazu” in Japan, had been sidelined for six months with a foot injury. Many thought this might finally be the end of the road for the iconic striker. But true to his resilient spirit, he defied both age and injury to make yet another return. Stepping onto the field for the first time this season, the Japanese legend made his intentions clear: he’s not ready to hang up his boots.
Miura turned 58 last February and has long held the title of the world’s oldest professional footballer. With his debut in the new season, that distinction only becomes more remarkable. This year marks the 40th season of his professional career.
Last June, Miura signed an 18-month loan deal with Suzuka, a fourth-tier Japanese club. But since suffering a foot injury in January, he remained on the sidelines. The Japan Football League—the fourth level of Japanese football—kicked off in March, but Miura had to wait until Sunday to finally return.
He made a brief appearance late in Suzuka’s 2–1 win over Yokohama, continuing the trend of recent years where he mostly comes off the bench for a few minutes. Yet, the fact that he’s still competing at the professional level at this age is nothing short of astonishing.
After the match, Miura spoke to Japanese news agency Kyodo and shared his renewed ambition.
“I want to play more matches and express my mindset on the field,” he said. “Thanks to everyone’s support and help, I was able to recover and play in this game. From here, I want to push forward with fresh energy.”
Miura began his professional journey in 1986. At just 15, he left Japan for Brazil in pursuit of his football dreams, eventually starting his career with Santos. Over the years, he played for several clubs in Brazil, including Palmeiras, before returning to Japan in 1990. His European stint began in 1994 with Genoa in Italy, followed by a spell at Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. He’s also played in Australia and Portugal.
He debuted for the Japanese national team in 1990 and starred in their 1994 World Cup qualifying campaign, scoring 13 goals in 13 matches, though Japan ultimately fell short. He was instrumental again in the 1998 qualifiers, netting 14 goals to help Japan qualify for their first World Cup. But controversially, Miura was left out of the final squad—a decision that caused uproar in Japan.
During the 1990s, he was Japan’s biggest football star, earning the nickname “King Kazu” from adoring fans. With 55 goals in 89 international appearances, he still ranks as Japan’s second-highest all-time scorer. His last game for the national team came in 2000. Yet 25 years later, he’s still playing professionally.
If Miura hopes to break the world record for oldest professional footballer, he’ll have to keep going for several more years. That mark currently belongs to Egypt’s Ezzeldin Bahader, who played a match at 74 years and 348 days in October 2020.
That milestone may still be a long way off, but with Miura, it’s hard to rule anything out. In an interview with FIFA.com last April, the legend summed up his mindset perfectly:
“When I was between 35 and 40, I started telling myself, ‘I can’t keep playing like this forever.’ But it wasn’t so much about thinking of quitting—it was more about motivating myself to do even more. It’s not that the word ‘retirement’ doesn’t exist in my vocabulary, but I’ve just never felt that urge.”
