Kazuyoshi Miura, the Japanese forward famously known as “King Kazu,” celebrated his 58th birthday on Wednesday. But it’s not just his birthday that’s worth celebrating—he is also about to begin his 40th season in professional soccer, making him the oldest player in Japan’s Football League.
Miura currently plays for Suzuka, a fourth-division team in Japan, on loan from Yokohama, a second-division club. The team was scheduled to start training this week in preparation for the season, which begins next month.
At a press conference late last year, Miura expressed his commitment to continuing his career, saying, “Retiring isn’t an option. I want to play as many minutes as I can in games.”
Miura’s career has seen him play in various countries, including Brazil, Italy, Croatia, Australia, and Portugal. He began his professional career in 1986 with Santos, a Brazilian club famously associated with Pelé.
In 2017, Miura made history at the age of 50, becoming the oldest player to score in a professional match, breaking the record previously held by English football legend Stanley Matthews.
Miura was a key figure in Japanese soccer, scoring 55 goals in 89 appearances and becoming a star for Japan’s national team during the 1990s.
