They don’t call him “King Kazu” for nothing. The record holder just doesn’t stop. The oldest professional footballer in the world has just signed a new contract. He is so reliable that it is not a shame to bet on him with confidence at 22bet.ng/line/Football/. The old guy will prove himself!
With each passing year, Kazuyoshi Miura’s achievements become more incredible. Now, shortly before his 56th birthday, the Japanese player has been loaned out by J-League club Yokohama FC and will play for Portuguese second-division club Oliveirense. This is Miura’s 38th season as a professional soccer player.
Professional in six countries
His career began in 1986 when Maradona won the World Cup and a year before Lionel Messi was born. As of 2017, he is the oldest player to ever score a goal in a professional game. Back then, he scored at the age of 50 years and 14 days against the Japanese second-division club Thespakusatsu Gunma. Since then, he has continued to add to his record. He has been doing this officially for 19 years in the service of Yokohama FC, although he has been loaned out regularly.
Outside Japan, he has played in Brazil, Italy, Croatia, and Australia. His sixth country as a player will now be Portugal.
Miura retired from the Japanese national team in 2000. Before that, however, he played 89 international matches for the Samurai Blue, scoring 55 goals, the second most in national team history. Two decades after his retirement, he is still scoring goals, now in Portugal.
Pioneer of Japanese soccer
King Kazu may already speak Portuguese from his four-year stint with top Brazilian clubs Santos and Palmeiras at the start of his career. At that time, Japan did not have a professional league. That didn’t change until 1993, and Miura promptly returned to his homeland, where he became the face of the new J-League and led his club Verdy Kawasaki straight to two straight titles. He went on to become the first Japanese player to feature in Italy’s Serie A at Genoa. Another record for the ages.
His new Portuguese club was delighted with the experienced Japanese newcomer and welcomed him directly with several Instagram posts. In three languages, the club wrote: “Welcome Kazu.”
UD Oliveirense is in a secure midfield position after the first round of the league as a promoted team. It is uncertain whether the 55-year-old striker will get a lot of playing time or mainly open up a new fan base in Japan for the second-division club. He has not forgotten how to score goals, however, as he recently proved with the Suzuka Point Getters. He scored two goals in 18 games for the team, which employs his brother as manager, in Japan’s fourth-tier league.
