Veteran Brazilian goalkeeper Fabio has etched his name into football history, surpassing the legendary record once shared by England’s Peter Shilton.
On Saturday, the 44-year-old reached the milestone and then went beyond it after Fluminense’s 2–0 victory over Colombia’s América de Cali at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.
While both Fluminense and the Brazilian press have hailed Fabio as the outright leader in career appearances, neither FIFA nor CONMEBOL has officially recognized the feat as a world record.
“Sometimes we don’t realize the importance of such a significant achievement as breaking this record, which has stood for many years,” Fabio said after keeping a clean sheet in the Copa Sudamericana round-of-16 tie.
The goalkeeper, who has never played outside Brazil, was celebrated by home supporters with chants of “Fabio is the best goalkeeper in Brazil.” He was also presented with a plaque in recognition of his historic appearance.
Fluminense manager Renato Gaúcho praised the veteran’s consistency and discipline, remarking: “No one plays so many matches without a level of professionalism like his. He’ll undoubtedly continue to play for a long time. It will be difficult for another player to surpass his record.”
Fabio lifted the Copa Libertadores with Fluminense in 2023 and helped the side reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup in the United States earlier this year.
Before joining Fluminense, he made 976 appearances for Cruzeiro between 2005 and 2022, following earlier spells with União Bandeirante (30 matches) and Vasco da Gama (150 matches). His latest outing marked his 235th game for Fluminense.
Fabio began his professional journey in 1997, the same year Peter Shilton hung up his gloves. The Englishman, who Guinness World Records credits with 1,390 appearances, still regards his own total as 1,387.
