Japan footballer Kazuyoshi Miura signs for new team at 58 years old
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Japan footballer Kazuyoshi Miura, also known as "King Kazu", will turn 59 in February but he believes his passion for football has not changed, as he has just signed for third-tier Japanese side Fukushima United on Dec 30.
PHOTO: REX FEATURE
TOKYO – Japanese football legend Kazuyoshi Miura said that his passion for playing the game was as strong as ever, after signing for a third-division team at the age of 58 on Dec 30.
Miura, better known as “King Kazu”, will join Japan’s Fukushima United on loan until June for what will be his 41st season as a professional footballer.
He will turn 59 in February. But while it is a remarkable feat, he is not the oldest active footballer.
Ukrainian Mykola Lykhovydov is even older as he will turn 60 in January, while Uruguayan Robert Carmona holds the Guinness World Record for the longest football career at 63 years old.
“My passion for football hasn’t changed, no matter how old I get,” former Japan international Miura said in a statement issued by his new club.
“I’m very grateful to be given the opportunity to play in Fukushima, and I will fight hard as a member of Fukushima United. Let’s make history together!”
Miura made seven appearances for fourth-tier Japanese side Atletico Suzuka in 2025, as the team were relegated to Japan’s regional leagues after finishing second-bottom of the table and losing a promotion/relegation play-off against fifth-tier Vonds Ichihara.
His move to Fukushima sees him return to the J. League – the top three divisions of Japanese football – for the first time in five years.
Miura also said he was ready to “take on a new challenge” with Fukushima, who finished 10th in the 20-team third division in 2025.
“To all the Fukushima United players, coaching staff, fans, sponsors and people in the local area, I promise that I will play with everything I have to make a contribution,” he added.
Miura made his professional debut in 1986 for Brazilian club Santos and he has also played for teams in Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal.
He helped put Japanese football on the map with his performances during the inaugural season of the professional J. League in 1993.
After making his Japan debut in 1990, he was famously left out of the squad for their first World Cup finals appearance in 1998, despite scoring 55 goals in 89 games for the national side. AFP
