Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio Deivson Lopes Maciel has officially broken the world record for most competitive appearances in football history, according to his club.
The 44-year-old made his 1,391st career appearance in Fluminense’s 2–0 win over America de Cali in the Copa Sudamericana last-16 at the Maracana, surpassing the long-standing record held by former England international Peter Shilton.
Fabio, who made his professional debut in 1997, has spent his entire career in Brazil with Uniao Bandeirante, Atletico Paranaense, Vasco da Gama, Cruzeiro and Fluminense. The bulk of his appearances (976) came at Cruzeiro, where he played from 2005 to 2022. He also played 150 times for Vasco da Gama and 30 for Uniao Bandeirante. Tuesday’s match marked his 235th appearance for Fluminense.
Shilton, now 75, is officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as having played 1,390 competitive matches, though he personally counts 1,387. His total includes 1,249 club games, 125 England caps and 13 under-23 appearances, the latter of which remain a point of debate over whether they should be included in the final tally.
Despite the ongoing ambiguity surrounding the numbers, Fluminense have declared Fabio the new record holder, with the club and fans honouring the veteran goalkeeper both before and after the historic match. Fabio wore a commemorative shirt featuring a special patch to mark the milestone.
“I have to thank everyone who is part of my life – my father, my mother, my sisters, my friends, my wife,” said Fabio. “I try to be a good human being. The important thing is to help my team-mates. I am grateful, but without God nothing would be possible.”
Although Fabio never received a senior Brazil call-up, he was part of the squad that won the Under-19 World Cup in 1997. He joined Fluminense in 2022 and went on to win the Copa Libertadores in 2023, beating Boca Juniors in the final. He also played all six matches at the Club World Cup, where Fluminense reached the semi-finals before losing to Chelsea.
During the tournament in the United States, Fabio added another milestone by keeping his 507th clean sheet, overtaking former Italy great Gianluigi Buffon.
In May, Fluminense extended Fabio’s contract until December 2026, meaning he could continue playing professionally until the age of 46.