Who is the Oldest Footballer Ever? A Look at the Incredible Career of Kazuyoshi Miura

At 55 years old, Kazuyoshi Miura is the oldest active professional footballer in the world. Nicknamed "King Kazu", Miura has had an incredibly long and accomplished career spanning over 35 years. Let‘s take a closer look at the life and achievements of the world‘s oldest footballer.

Introduction

Kazuyoshi Miura was born on February 26, 1967 in Shizuoka, Japan. He began his professional football career in 1986 at the age of 19 with Santos FC in Brazil. Since then, Miura has played for numerous clubs around the world including in Japan, Italy, Croatia, and Australia.

In 2005 at the age of 38, Miura returned to Japan to play for Yokohama FC. Amazingly, 18 years later at age 55, he is still an active player with Yokohama in the J-League Division 2. Miura holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest professional footballer still playing competitive matches.

Early Career

Miura‘s talent for football was evident from a young age. He joined the youth team of Nippon Steel Yawata as a 15-year-old in 1982. In 1986, Miura got his big break signing with Brazilian club Santos FC after impressing during a youth tournament in Brazil. At 19, he became the first Japanese footballer to play professionally in South America.

Miura spent the next several years playing in Brazil and scored over 50 goals during his time there. His success caught the attention of Italian Serie A club Genoa who signed Miura in 1994 for a then Asian record transfer fee. Miura became the first Japanese player to feature in Serie A, but struggled to adapt to the culture and rigors of Italian football.

After short stints with other clubs like Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Miura returned to Japan in the late 90s to play for Kyoto Purple Sanga and Vissel Kobe. It was during this period that Miura hit the prime of his career, becoming one of the most popular and successful players in the J-League.

Success and Longevity in Japan

In 2005 at the age of 38, Miura signed with Yokohama FC. This marked the beginning of the most remarkable stage of his long career. Despite his advanced age, Miura continued to excel on the pitch for Yokohama, a testament to his fitness, technique, and love for the game.

Some highlights of King Kazu‘s achievements with Yokohama and later Yokohama FC include:

• Becoming the J-League‘s oldest ever goal scorer at age 43 in 2010
• Breaking his own record by scoring another goal at age 50 in 2017
• Winning the J-League‘s MVP Award at age 41 in 2007
• Leading Yokohama FC to promotion to J-League Division 1 at age 54 in 2021
• Renewing his contract with Yokohama FC for a 19th season at age 55 in 2022

Miura‘s longevity has been nothing short of astounding. While most professionals retire by their late 30s, Miura is still going strong at 55 with no plans to retire. His commitment to rigorous training and nutrition have allowed him to keep playing at a high level despite his age.

In 2021, the 54-year-old Miura said:

“My aspirations as a footballer continue. My passion and motivation are still strong. As long as my mind and body remain sharp, I want to keep playing at a professional level. I’m not setting any limits on my career and hope to inspire others not to either.”

Goal Scoring Legend

In addition to his longevity, Miura is also one of the most prolific goal scorers in Japanese football history. He has netted over 170 goals in domestic league play and over 240 goals across all competitions in his 35+ year career.

Some notable goal scoring achievements include:

• Becoming the first player to score over 100 goals in the J-League
• Ranking as J-League‘s 6th all-time leading goal scorer
• Scoring 55 goals to help Yokohama FC gain promotion in 2021
• Holding the record for the most goals in a single J-League season with 26
• Being the oldest player to score in the Japanese Cup final at age 50

Miura‘s scoring exploits have earned him the nicknames "King Kazu" and "Soccer‘s Benjamin Button". He has been able to maintain world-class technique and finishing despite nearing his 60s.

Net Worth and Endorsements

According to available estimates, Kazuyoshi Miura has a net worth of approximately $5 million as of 2024. The vast majority of his wealth has been accumulated through his long football career in the form of salaries, bonuses, and endorsements.

Some insights into King Kazu‘s finances:

• His annual salary with Yokohama FC is estimated to be around $400,000 per year.
• Most of his career earnings came from his time in Japan‘s J-League.
• His stint with Italian club Genoa likely earned him close to $1 million annually.
• Miura has earned millions from endorsement deals with major Japanese companies like Puma, Honda, and clothing brands.
• He owns a successful soccer school in Japan for youth training.
• Miura has smartly invested portions of his career earnings.

While not one of the ultra-rich footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, Miura has still amassed a small fortune strictly from playing the game he loves. His long career earning potential combined with prudent money management have allowed him to become very wealthy.

Breaking Records and Making History

As the world‘s oldest professional footballer, Kazuyoshi Miura has broken numerous age records and carved out a unique place in sports history:

• At age 55, he is the oldest player to appear in a professional match, breaking Stanley Matthews‘ previous record.

• He is the oldest player to score a competitive league goal at age 50.

• Miura holds the record for longest professional career spanning over 35 years.

• He is the oldest footballer to play in Japan‘s J-League, still competing at 55 years old.

• King Kazu is the oldest player to have played in La Liga, Spain‘s top league.

• With over 92 caps, he‘s Japan‘s oldest international having last played for them at age 51.

• Miura is the first Japanese footballer to play in Italy, Croatia, and Australia.

• He‘s the oldest footballer to sign a professional contract when he re-signed with Yokohama at age 55.

Miura has repeatedly proved that age is just a number in football. His host of age records may never be broken. As Guinness World Records puts it, "King Kazu is a legendary sportsman who many see as setting an unofficial world record for durability in his sport."

Workout and Diet Routine

A major reason why Miura has been able to continue playing professionally into his 50s is his intense focus on training and nutrition. He follows a strict lifestyle regime tailored to maximize his footballing performances.

Here are some insights into the 55-year old‘s workout and diet routines:

• Daily fitness regimen includes running, weight training, jumps, and football skills practice.

• Prefers training outdoors and uses a variety of surfaces like sand and grass.

• Gyms 3-4 hours most days focusing on sprints, agility drills, and muscle conditioning.

• Stretches extensively before and after workouts to maintain flexibility.

• Carefully tracks health metrics like body fat %, weight, and VO2 max.

• Follows a high protein, low sugar, lots of vegetable diet.

• Takes supplements and gets 8+ hours of sleep nightly for recovery.

• Focuses on preventing injuries through discipline and smart training.

Miura‘s extreme dedication to fitness has enabled him to keep playing football competitively at an age when most players have been retired for over a decade. His pursuit of longevity will likely inspire other athletes in the future.

2022-2023 Season with Yokohama FC

This past year at age 55, Kazuyoshi Miura continued his role as a striker and captain for Yokohama FC. The team competes in the Japan second division J-League 2.

Though Miura is used sparingly by the manager, he is still an important part of the squad providing veteran leadership. In the 2022 season, Miura made 8 appearances playing a total of 290 minutes.

Highlights of his season at age 55:

• Started in Yokohama FC‘s Emperor‘s Cup fixture and played 56 minutes.

• Came on as a late substitute against Thespakusatsu Gunma in September 2022.

• Renewed his contract for 2024 making him the oldest professional footballer.

• Helped guide Yokohama FC‘s young squad with his experience.

• Maintained his popularity with devoted fans coming to games to see King Kazu.

• Continued displaying his renowned work ethic in training.

Miura is still under contract for the 2023 season. It will be his 19th overall season with Yokohama FC and 36th year in professional football. Despite turning 56 this year, Miura has no intentions of hanging up his boots just yet.

The Legend Lives On

Kazuyoshi Miura‘s story epitomizes passion, longevity, and hard work. At an age when most people are retired, he is still excelling professionally in a competitive sport like football. Miura proves that your life‘s passion should not be limited by age or societal conceptions.

King Kazu‘s historic achievements have made him a prominent figure in Japan and around the football world. He has inspired countless people young and old to never give up on their dreams. Even when Miura finally retires, his legend will live on as one of football‘s most unique characters.

For now, the oldest footballer ever continues defying time while courageously pursuing the sport he loves. It will be fascinating to see if the 55-year-old Miura suits up for another season in 2024 as he keeps redefining the limits of human potential.