While we are talking about Rivaldo playing in his 40s and other players who managed to stay competitive and perform on the highest professional level, there is a very interesting player in Japan who is the record holder for the oldest professional soccer player in any league in the world. Currently, Kazuyoshi Miura is playing for Suzuka Point Getters in the Japanese league where he participated in a win!
Also known as King Kazu
Fans of the player have an adorable nickname for their idol. They call him “King Kazu”. The king is currently 55 years and 255 days old which makes him the oldest professional footballer to ever put his foot on the grass during an official game. While his appearance against the Criacao Shinjuku did not bring any change to the pace of the game, he was still quite a big treat for over 16 thousand fans to see his latest game live.
Just two years ago, he was still playing for Yokohama FC which was a club that played in the top national league. After a bitter relegation, he decided to move on and switched to another team in the lower-tier league that was willing to get him on the roster. Yes, the current team of the Japanese never-giving-up player is not as big, but it does not mean that Miura never played at the highest competitive level.
The now-55-year-old played for Genoa from Serie A, Dinamo Zagreb, and Sidney. All these teams used him as a starter and coaches always praised his commitment and conscientiousness.
Inspiration and a good role model
Miura is past his best years and does not pretend that he is still competitive on a level higher than the Japanese Football League, but he is a great example of how athletes can keep going if they are dedicated and enthusiastic about their sport. “King Kazu” has a large army of devoted followers and fans who visit stadiums just to see him appear on the grass.
Hopefully, Kazu will continue playing professionally and will beat his record quite soon!
