Get you up to speed: Japanese football legend ‘King Kazu’, 59, scores first goal in four years
Kazuyoshi Miura, the 59-year-old football legend, scored his first competitive goal in nearly four years for Fukushima United in a 7-0 victory against Iwaki Furukawa. The match took place during the Emperor’s Cup, with Miura scoring in the 52nd minute before being substituted three minutes later.
Kazuyoshi Miura, who recently scored in a match for Fukushima United, is preparing for his 42nd season as a professional footballer after extending his loan with the club until June 2027. Miura last scored competitively in November 2022 while playing for Suzuka PG, and his remarkable career continues as Japan’s professional leagues transition to a new autumn-to-spring schedule.
Kazuyoshi Miura’s recent goal for Fukushima United has garnered significant attention, reinforcing his status as a key figure in Japanese football. As he gears up for his 42nd season, the club has confirmed his extended loan until June 2027, amidst plans to adapt to a new autumn-to-spring league schedule.
What remains unclear — It is not specified how many goals Miura is aiming to score in the remainder of the season.
Kazuyoshi Miura scores first competitive goal in almost four years at 59
Sport|FootballJapanese football legend ‘King Kazu’, 59, scores first goal in four years
The world’s oldest professional footballer, Kazuyoshi Miura, scores as Fukushima United thrash Iwaki Furukawa 7-0.
Published On 26 Jul 202626 Jul 2026
Japanese football icon Kazuyoshi Miura proved that age is just a number as the 59-year-old scored his first competitive goal in nearly four years.
The world’s oldest professional footballer, affectionately known as “King Kazu”, struck in the 52nd minute for Fukushima United on Saturday, as the J-League third division side thrashed Iwaki Furukawa 7-0 to advance in the Emperor’s Cup.
The goal prompted celebrations among teammates on the pitch and the bench before the veteran forward was substituted three minutes later.
It was Miura’s first competitive goal since November 2022, when he scored for Suzuka PG, now Atletico Suzuka, in a Japan Football League defeat by FC Osaka.
Enormous draw for fans
The former Japan international is preparing for a remarkable 42nd season as a professional after extending his loan spell with third-tier Fukushima United until June 2027.
Miura joined the club from Yokohama FC in December and will remain with Fukushima after making six appearances during a shortened 2026 campaign.
With Japan’s professional leagues set to switch from a spring-to-autumn schedule to an autumn-to-spring calendar, Miura will enter his 60s still playing professionally, adding another chapter to one of football’s most enduring careers.
Miura has previously insisted that he will not hang up his boots until he turns 60, and he continues to be an enormous draw for fans in Japan and abroad.