Kazuyoshi Miura: World’s oldest footballer makes debut for his 15th club | OneFootball

Kazuyoshi Miura, professional football’s oldest goalscorer, has just set another record in his incredible career.

The oldest professional player in the world is still going strong at the age of 56, having come on in the 90th minute for Portuguese second-division side Oliveirense.

It is the latest instalment in the remarkable career of the man nicknamed ‘King Kazu,’ who first made his debut back in 1986.

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Miura’s incredible career

The Japanese forward has been playing for nearly four decades, playing across six countries and for 15 different clubs.

He started his career in Brazil with Santos and stints at other Brazilian clubs followed, including Palmeiras, Matsubara-PR, Clube de Regatas Brasil and Coritiba.

In 1990 though, he returned to Japan and joined Yomiuri SC, which went on to be renamed Verdy Kawasaki, winning four league titles between 1990 and 1994.

During that time, he became the first ever Japanese winner of the Asian Footballer of the Year award in 1992 and was also named as the newly formed J-League’s most valuable player in 1993.

He then became the first Japanese footballer to play in Italy, joining Genoa on loan for the 1994/95 season and playing 21 times for Il Grifone.

He returned to Verdy Kawasaki for three more seasons, and this was followed by stints at Dinamo Zagreb and Vissel Kobe.

But in 2005, Miura signed for Yokohama FC, and he has been permanently contracted to the club ever since.

As well as success at club level, Miura has had success on the international stage.

In 1992, he was a part of the Japan team that lifted the Asia Cup, and he played a vital role in Japan’s qualification for the 1998 World Cup, scoring 14 goals for his country. However, Miura was then controversially left out of the squad for the tournament.

He played his last international game for Japan in 2000.

Over 701 club career appearances, the icon has scored 193 goals, as well as 55 more goals in 89 games at international level, which makes him the country’s second-highest goalscorer.

King Kazu hits another achievement

Mirua’s career has been littered with records. He became the oldest player to feature in a professional match when he played for Yokohama in March 2017, and he then became the oldest professional goalscorer when he netted against Thespakusatsu Gunma that same year.

And remarkably, he is still playing 38 seasons after he made his debut.

In 2023, Portuguese side Oliveirense announced that Miura was joining the club on loan until the end of the season.

And in the 90th minute of their 4-1 victory against Académico de Viseu last weekend, he came on as a substitute to make his debut.

At 56 years old, the club said in a report on their website that it makes him the oldest footballer to play in Portuguese football.