How is he still going!? Footballer now in his 40th pro season | OneFootball

At 36 years old, Mats Hummels has just ended his career as a professional soccer player. For Kazuyoshi Miura, that would only elicit a tired smile, because the Japanese player is entering his 40th professional season at the age of 58. Please, what!?

While we spend the weekend lounging on the couch with a blanket and wondering if our appetite for chips is greater than our desire to simply stay lying down, the almost-retiree Kazuyoshi Miura would rather run around the world. Not in some old-timers' team, but in professional soccer.

Just yesterday, he started his 40th professional season in the fourth Japanese league with Atletico Suzuka Club. In the 2-1 win against Yokohama Sports&Culture Club, the 58-year-old was substituted in the 82nd minute.

"Thanks to everyone's support, I was able to play. From here, I want to shift into a higher gear," he said after the game to the news agency 'Kyodo'.

Miura played his first game for Santos in Brazil in 1986, after traveling alone to South America at the age of 15 to pursue his soccer dream. Since then, he has been around a lot.

He has played for clubs in Japan, Italy, Croatia, Australia, and Portugal over the past 39 years. Since 2024, he has been active again in Japan, first with Yokohama FC and since July 2024 with Atletico Suzuka Club.

In addition, the striker has also scored 55 goals in 89 international games for the Japanese national team. His last international appearance was in 2000, so no more games will be added. But at the club level, it doesn't seem like the end is near yet.

What do you think, how much longer will Kazuyoshi Miura play? Let us know in the comments.

📸 IMAGO / AFLOSPORT

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.