<strong>Together, let's forge history'</strong> - Miura, fifty-eight, signs with new football side.

The legendary Japanese striker, set to turn 59 next month and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has finalized a loan deal until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.

The transfer means Miura might feature in the J.League - encompassing the highest tiers of football in Japan - for the initial occasion in half a decade.

The ex-international forward, who started his career with Brazilian side Santos in 1986, did not find the net in just over an hour across seven appearances last season while on loan at JFL side Atletico Suzuka.

"My passion for football remains undimmed, no matter how old I get," he said as he prepares for a forty-first campaign as a pro footballer.
"I'm very grateful to be presented with this chance. I promise I will play with all my heart to help the team. Let's make history together!"

Known as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth loan since 2022 from J2 League side Yokohama FC.

The veteran, who has also played club football in Australia, Italy, and Croatia, joined the club in 2005 but has remained absent from the pitch for them since 2020.

He scored 55 goals in 89 games in an international career that concluded in 2000, two years after his surprising exclusion from the squad for Japan's maiden FIFA World Cup campaign.

Miura, who has expressed a desire for playing until he is 60, said he was ready to "take on a new challenge" after being demoted last season to the country's lower regional divisions.

Fukushima United finished 10th in the twenty-club J3 League last season.

Jessica Roy
Jessica Roy

Mira Chen is a tech journalist and AI researcher with over a decade of experience covering digital transformation and emerging technologies.