Kazuyoshi “King Kazu” Miura is not just football’s oldest active professional. He is the sport’s living time capsule: a 59-year-old Japanese forward still listed with Fukushima United, still extending his career, and still turning every substitute appearance into a tiny piece of football folklore.
Old But Gold: Kazuyoshi “King Kazu” Miura, The 59-Year-Old Who Still Refuses To Retire
Born in 1967, Miura has stretched a professional career across decades, continents and football eras. From Brazil and Japan to Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal, King Kazu has become the rare player whose longevity is now bigger than any single stat line.
Kazuyoshi Miura: Player Card
- Full name: Kazuyoshi Miura
- Nickname: King Kazu
- Date of birth: 26 February 1967
- Age: 59
- Nationality: Japan
- Place of birth: Shizuoka, Japan
- Position: Forward
- Current club: Fukushima United, on loan from Yokohama FC
- International record: 89 Japan caps, 55 goals
- Last updated: 4 July 2026
Transfermarkt lists Kazuyoshi Miura as a 59-year-old centre-forward with Fukushima United, born in Shizuoka on 26 February 1967, with 89 caps and 55 goals for Japan. Transfermarkt’s Miura profile also lists his current club status and long-running professional record.
The J.League’s official profile lists Miura as a Fukushima United forward wearing number 11, with his age, birthplace and physical profile included in the player record. The official J.League profile gives the cleanest club-level snapshot for his current Fukushima spell.
Who Is Kazuyoshi “King Kazu” Miura?
Kazuyoshi Miura is a Japanese forward widely known as King Kazu. He is one of the most recognisable figures in Japanese football history, a former national-team star, and one of the game’s greatest symbols of endurance.
At 59, Miura is still listed as an active professional player with Fukushima United in Japan’s J3 League, on loan from Yokohama FC. Reuters reported that Fukushima United extended his loan until June 2027, allowing him to play a 42nd professional season and continue into his 60s. The Reuters report makes his current status clear: King Kazu is still not finished.
That is the strange beauty of Miura’s story. He is not still playing because he dominates matches every week. He is still playing because his career has become a living argument against football’s usual clock.
Why King Kazu Is Old But Gold
Old But Gold usually means a veteran who still contributes through experience, skill or leadership. With Miura, the phrase becomes something bigger. He is the gold standard of football longevity because he has carried one professional career across generations.
Miura began playing professionally in the 1980s. He played before the J.League became the modern stage it is today. He was already a Japanese football icon when many of today’s stars had not been born. Now, he is still on a professional registration while players born decades after him are already retiring.
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“King Kazu is not beating time. He is making time sit in the stands and watch.”
His minutes are limited now, but the symbolism is enormous. Every appearance is a reminder that football careers do not all end the same way. Some fade. Some explode. Miura’s career just keeps unfolding, one improbable page at a time.
Kazuyoshi Miura’s Career Path
Miura’s career began far from the usual Japanese pathway. He left Japan as a teenager to develop in Brazil and later made his professional debut with Santos in 1986. The Associated Press noted that Miura debuted with Santos and later played across Brazil, Italy, Croatia, Australia, Portugal and Japan. The AP profile also highlighted his 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan.
His peak years came with Verdy Kawasaki, where he became one of the faces of the rising Japanese game. He was a national celebrity before Japanese football had the global visibility it has now, and his charisma helped give the J.League some of its early star power.
He also became one of the first Japanese players to test himself in major European football, spending time with Genoa in Italy and Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. Later chapters took him to Sydney FC, Oliveirense in Portugal and multiple Japanese clubs through Yokohama FC loan spells.
Records And Legacy
Miura’s legacy sits in two places. The first is Japan’s football history. He scored 55 goals in 89 appearances for the national team, making him one of the country’s most important attacking figures of the 1990s.
The second is football longevity. AP reported that Miura became the oldest player to score in a professional match in 2017, at age 50, breaking a record associated with Stanley Matthews. That record is the cleanest symbol of why King Kazu belongs in the Old But Gold hall before anyone else.
King Kazu Legacy Snapshot
- Oldest active professional footballer: Widely listed as the world’s oldest active professional player.
- Japan icon: 89 caps and 55 goals for the national team.
- Five-decade career: His professional timeline stretches from the 1980s into the 2020s.
- Global club map: Brazil, Japan, Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal all appear in his football journey.
- Oldest scoring record: Became the oldest player to score in a professional match at 50, according to AP’s profile.
TMJ Scout Notes
Miura should not be scouted like a normal forward anymore. At 59, his value is not in explosive running, pressing volume or week-to-week scoring output. His value is ceremonial, cultural, motivational and deeply symbolic.
What Comes Next For King Kazu?
Miura’s next chapter is already set up. His loan at Fukushima United has been extended until June 2027, which means he is positioned to continue playing professionally into his 60s. That is where the story becomes almost unreal: most footballers retire before 40, but King Kazu is still finding one more season.
The important detail is not whether he becomes a weekly starter. He will not be judged by normal forward standards anymore. The question is simpler and stranger: can King Kazu step onto the pitch again, extend the timeline again, and keep the world’s oldest football story alive?
For more veteran football stories, follow TMJ’s Oldest Active Footballers: Old But Gold World Edition and the World Cup-focused Old But Gold World Cup Edition.
TMJ Verdict: King Kazu Is Football’s Living Clock
Kazuyoshi Miura is the purest Old But Gold story in football. He is not here because he is still the fastest, sharpest or most productive forward in the world. He is here because he has stretched the idea of a football career beyond normal logic.
King Kazu has become less like a player and more like a lighthouse. He tells football where it has been, how far it has travelled, and how one man can keep walking back onto the grass long after the curtain was supposed to fall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kazuyoshi “King Kazu” Miura?
Kazuyoshi Miura is a Japanese forward and football legend widely known as King Kazu. He is famous for his extraordinary professional longevity.
How old is Kazuyoshi Miura?
Kazuyoshi Miura was born on 26 February 1967 and is 59 years old.
Which club does Kazuyoshi Miura play for?
Miura is listed with Fukushima United, on loan from Yokohama FC.
Is Kazuyoshi Miura the oldest active footballer?
Yes. Miura is widely listed as the world’s oldest active professional footballer.
How many goals did Kazuyoshi Miura score for Japan?
Miura scored 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan.
Fact-Check Notes
This article was fact-checked using current player profiles, J.League data and recent reporting on Miura’s Fukushima United loan extension.
