For most players, a four-year goal drought would mark a significant part of their playing career that would go by without hitting the back of the net.
But for Japan legend Kazuyoshi Miura, his first goal in 1,351 days has seen him end what is only a minor bump in his career.
That’s because, as the world’s oldest professional player (Miura has been playing since 1986) his latest goal came six months after he celebrated his 59th birthday.
World's oldest professional player nets after four-year goal drought
During his four-decade professional career, Miura has played for teams in Asia, Europe, Australasia and South America, and is currently playing for Japanese third-tier side Fukushima United.
The 89-time Japan international found the back of the net in the 52nd minute of the club’s 7-0 victory over Iwaki Furukawa in the Emperor’s Cup on Saturday.
This was his first competitive goal since November 2022, when he scored for Suzuka PG against FC Osaka and adds another wrinkle to the story of one of Japan’s most-loved sportspeople.
Miura, who lists the likes of Santos, Genoa, Dinamo Zagreb and Sydney FC as his former sides, was the face of the J League when it launched in 1993 and is preparing for a 42nd season as a professional, having extended his loan to Fukushima from J2 League side Yokohama FC until 2027.
Miura’s spell at Fukushima United is his fifth since he joined Yokohama in 2005, with the forward not having played for his parent club since 2020.
Nicknamed ‘King Kazu’, Miura’s longevity has seen him break a series of records, including the mark for the oldest goalscorer in J-League history at the age of 50, plus the footballer with the longest career.
He has also played in five separate decades, beginning in the 1980s, when he travelled alone to Brazil as a 15-year-old to become a professional footballer.
There he would sign with the youth squad of Sao Paulo side Juventus before he earned a first professional contract with Santos.
Other notable landmarks in Miura’s career include him becoming the first East Asian footballer to play in Serie A when he joined Genoa on loan for the 1994/95 season, while he has also scored 55 goals for Japan, one of only three men to earn a half-century of goals for the Blue Samurai.
With Miura gearing up for the new season, he looks intent on playing in his 60s, something he has often spoken about in recent years.
