Fabio Deivson Lopes Maciel Sets New Record for Most Competitive Football Appearances
Brazilian goalkeeper Fabio Deivson Lopes Maciel has officially surpassed the record previously held by former England international Peter Shilton for the most competitive appearances in world football, according to his club Fluminense.
The 44-year-old achieved this milestone during the last 16 of the Copa Sudamericana, the South American equivalent of the Europa League, where he played his 1,391st match, leading Fluminense to a 2-0 victory against America de Cali at the Maracana Stadium.
Fabio began his professional career in 1997 and has spent his entire tenure in Brazil, playing for clubs including Uniao Bandeirante, Atletico Paranaense, Vasco da Gama, Cruzeiro, and Fluminense.
The majority of his appearances, 976, were made while at Cruzeiro from 2005 to 2022, alongside 150 appearances for Vasco da Gama and 30 for Uniao Bandeirante.
His record-setting match on Tuesday marked his 235th appearance for Fluminense.
As recorded by the Guinness Book of Records, Shilton had held the record with 1,390 appearances, although he claims his actual total is 1,387, which is three fewer than the official count.
Despite never representing Brazil at the senior level, Fabio is now recognized by Fluminense as the outright record holder following his surpassing of the 1,390 mark.
There has been some debate regarding the exact number of appearances that Fabio was pursuing. Shilton, now 75, is credited with 1,249 club games and holds a record of 125 appearances for the England national team, totaling 1,374. According to England Football Online, Shilton also played 13 matches for the England Under-23 team, which would account for the 1,387 appearances he believes he has.
While the validity of counting those 13 matches as senior appearances remains a topic of discussion, Fluminense has officially claimed the record for their goalkeeper.
The club and its fans honored Fabio before and after the match, with him donning a special shirt patch to commemorate the occasion. "I am grateful to everyone who has been part of my life – my father, my mother, my sisters, my friends, my wife. I strive to be a good human being," he stated. "The most important thing is to support my teammates. I am thankful, but without God, nothing would be possible."
Fabio joined Fluminense in 2022 and celebrated a Copa Libertadores victory the following year, defeating Boca Juniors in the final. He also participated in all six matches at the Club World Cup, where Fluminense reached the semi-finals before losing to Chelsea, the eventual champions. During this tournament, he made history by achieving a record-breaking 507th clean sheet, surpassing the previous record held by Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon.
In May, Fluminense extended Fabio's contract, ensuring he remains with the club until December 2026, by which time he will be 46 years old.
The Ultimate Record - Analysis
By Mani Djazmi - BBC Sport Reporter
Simone Inzaghi stood in disbelief as Kalidou Koulibaly's celebrations faded mid-roar. On the ground, a 44-year-old man was defying the impact of a heavy fall to bounce back up. That man was Fabio, the agile goalkeeper for Fluminense. He had just executed one of the standout saves of the Club World Cup, deflecting Koulibaly's powerful header past the post with his left hand during Flu's quarter-final victory over Al-Hilal.
Fluminense is only Fabio's fifth club in his 28-year career, and notably, 16 of his teammates were born after his professional debut. His only experiences on the international stage came in the late 1990s, when he won the Under-17 World Cup alongside Ronaldinho and reached the semi-finals of the Under-20 World Cup two years later.
At that time, his backup was Julio Cesar, who went on to achieve Champions League glory with Inter Milan and whom Fabio could never replace in the national squad. However, Julio Cesar, who is just a year older than Fabio, retired in 2018.
Meanwhile, Fabio has played an impressive 5,850 minutes of football over the past 12 months, averaging 65 matches, a feat unmatched by any goalkeeper in a calendar year. It is fitting that he marked this remarkable record at the iconic Maracana Stadium.