World's Oldest Soccer Player Signs New Contract in Portugal: 'Passion Is What Drives Me'

Japan's Kazuyoshi Miura has played professional soccer since 1982

The world’s oldest soccer player decided not to hang up his cleats this week, signing a new contract extension that ensures he’ll play until he’s 57 years old.

The second-tier Portugal club Oliveirense shared on social media Tuesday that Kazuyoshi Miura signed a new extension, tweeting “Miura Kazu continues at UD Oliveirense” alongside a ticking clock.

Miura, 56, has played professional soccer since 1982 when he joined the Brazilian club Juventes’ youth squad. Throughout his career, the striker has played for club teams in his native Japan, Brazil, Italy, Croatia and Australia.

He also played on Japan’s national team from 1990 until 2000, coming out of international retirement to play for the team briefly in 2012. Throughout his international career, he scored 55 goals in 89 games.

However, Miura has never played in a World Cup — a goal that has kept him motivated, he’s said.

“My secret? I don’t think I have one,” Miura told Reuters in 2017. “It is important to keep dreaming. So playing at the World Cup is still my dream.”

Once named the 1992 Asian Footballer of the Year, Miura was controversially cut from Japan’s 1998 World Cup team, according to the Asian Football Confederation.

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More recently, Miura has played for the Japanese team Yokohama FC since 2012 but has been on loan to Oliveirense in Portugal since February, according to the Associated Press. The AP reports he became the oldest player to ever play in the country’s league when he played in last season’s final games.

Related: Trinity Rodman Dominates Late with 2 Goals in USWNT Send-Off Ahead of World Cup

Nicknamed “King Kazu,” Miura has been regarded as the oldest soccer player in the world since at least 2019 when he spoke with the Japan Times about his prolonged career.

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“My passion for soccer has not changed since I turned pro at the age of 18,” Miura had told reporters, according to the outlet. “I even feel like it is growing. Passion is what drives me forward the most.”

According to the BBC, Miura may not be ready to retire after this latest contract extension either: He previously discussed the idea of playing until he was 60 years old.

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