King Kazu breaks his own record as Miura, 59, becomes J.League's oldest-ever third-tier player

Kazuyoshi Miura became the oldest player ever to feature in Japan’s third-tier football league on Saturday, entering the pitch as a substitute for Fukushima United in their 4-1 home victory over FC Ryukyu at the age of 59 years, eight months and 12 days. In doing so, the former Japan international extended a J.League record that was already his own.

Miura, universally known in Japanese football as “King Kazu”, is now in the 42nd season of a professional career that has spanned five decades. His latest milestone comes after a lengthy absence from competitive league football — his previous J.League appearance had come in 2021, when he made a single outing in Japan’s top flight for parent club Yokohama FC.

Although Miura featured six times last season in a shortened special tournament played under a split-season format, those matches were not classified as official league games, making Saturday’s substitute appearance his first competitive league outing in four years.

The striker’s longevity has been matched in recent months by a return to the scoresheet. In July, Miura ended a near four-year goal drought when he scored in the Emperor’s Cup, underlining that his involvement remains more than ceremonial.

Miura’s career began in Brazil in the early 1980s before he returned to Japan and became one of the country’s most celebrated footballers. His continued presence in professional football at 59 places him in territory no other player in the J.League system has reached.