Japanese Football Icon ‘King Kazu’ Miura, 59, Nets First Competitive Goal in Four Years
Japanese football legend Kazuyoshi Miura registered his first competitive goal in almost four years on Saturday, scoring at the age of 59 as Fukushima United defeated Iwaki Furukawa 7-0 to progress in the Emperor’s Cup.
Miura, widely known by the nickname “King Kazu”, found the net in the 52nd minute to give Fukushima a 5-0 advantage. After making his familiar run into the penalty area, he converted a teammate’s cutback with a first-time strike at 59 years and 149 days old.
His goal prompted enthusiastic celebrations from players on the field and those on the bench, before the experienced forward was replaced three minutes later.
This marked Miura’s first goal in a competitive fixture since November 2022, when he scored for Suzuka PG, now called Atletico Suzuka, during a Japan Football League loss against FC Osaka.
The former Japan international is getting ready for an extraordinary 42nd professional season after extending his loan agreement with third-division Fukushima United through June 2027.
Miura moved to the club from Yokohama FC in December and is set to stay with Fukushima after featuring six times in the shortened 2026 season.
As Japan’s professional competitions prepare to move from a spring-to-autumn format to an autumn-to-spring schedule, Miura is expected to continue his playing career into his 60s, extending one of the longest-running journeys in professional football.
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