Japan great ‘King Kazu’ Miura sets oldest appearance record at 59

Kazuyoshi Miura, the former Japan international known as “King Kazu”, set a new age record for an appearance in Japan’s third-tier league on Saturday. At 59, he came on as a substitute in Fukushima United’s 4-1 home win over FC Ryukyu, extending his own J.League record and underscoring a professional career that has lasted 42 seasons.

Miura was 59 years, eight months and 12 days old when he entered the match in second-half stoppage time. It was his first league appearance since 2021; he also played six times in a special tournament last season, though those matches did not count as official league games. In July, he scored in the Emperor’s Cup, ending a wait of nearly four years for a competitive goal.