Meet The World's Oldest Professional Football Player (Photos)

Most footballers retire before the age of 40, it is rare to see a footballer still playing at 50. But that is exactly what Japanese footballer, Kazuyoshi Miura, has done by running out for J-League second division club Yokohama at 50 years and seven days, to beat a record held by the late England international, Stanley Matthews.

Miura played for 54 minutes as his team drew 1-1 draw with V-Varen Nagasaki.

The 50-year-old signed his first professional contract with Santos of Brazil in 1986 and went on to play for Palmeiras, Matsubara, CRB, XV de Jau, Coritiba, Santos, Yomiuri/Verdy Kawasaki, Genoa, Dinamo Zagreb, Kyoto Purple Sanga, Vissel Kobe, Sydney FC and Yokohama FC, which he joined in 2005.

Miura was also the first Japanese player to feature in Italy’s Serie A with Genoa in the 1994/95 season.

He led his country in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup as he scored 12 goals, but he was surprisingly dropped by national team manager, Takeshi Okada.