World record for most games
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In August, Brazilian goalkeeper Fábio broke the world record for the most appearances, according to his club Fluminense (go to details). According to the South American club, 1,269 of the 1,418 appearances have now been recorded in the transfer market database, and many more will probably be added in the next two years. Because at the age of 45, Fábio, who is a regular at Fluminense, has extended his contract again – until the end of 2027. Then he would be 47.
According to Transfermarkt’s area manager Marcos Watts, the 149 missing games come from his early career in the late 1990s and early 2000s – entering them correctly is very difficult due to the complexity of Brazil’s historical data. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the previous holder of the record, Peter Shilton, recorded 985 club games and 126 for the English national team. According to his own statement, the Englishman played 1,387 competitive games; Guinness listed him as 1,390.