Former Dinamo Zagreb Striker Still Playing Professionally Aged 48

Former Japanese national team striker and one-time Dinamo Zagreb player Kazuyoshi Miura celebrates his 48th birthday today by announcing that he is not thinking of hanging up his boots just yet…

Croatian football fans will remember Miura from his stint with Dinamo Zagreb in 1999. Then 32, Miura failed to find the back of the net in his 12 appearances for the Zagreb club after arriving with a big reputation. He was a former Asian Player of the Year, and scored over 50 goals for Japan’s national team. 16 years later and he is still playing professional football.
Miura currently holds the record for being the oldest footballer in Japan’s professional leagues aged 48.

“This year in the Chinese colander is the year of the goat, and that is my horoscope, so I wanted to actively celebrate my 30th season,” said Miura, who plays for the second division Japanese side Yokohama.

Miura began his professional career over 32 years ago in Brazil. He travelled alone there at the age of 15 and signed with Clube Atlético Juventus, a youth club in São Paulo, and in 1986, he signed his first professional contract with Santos. He played for several Brazilian clubs including Palmeiras and Coritiba until his return to Japan in 1990.