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New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Shilton v Fabio: Who really holds the world record for senior appearances?
Brazilian goalkeeper Fabio Deivson Lopes Maciel, who is representing Fluminense at the Club World Cup, began his career in 1997. Since then he has played 1,375 official, senior games of football. It is a remarkable number and testament to his talent, drive and longevity. English former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, whose career lasted from 1966 to 1997, is the only other man to have played more than 1,350 official games of senior, top-level football. Advertisement Shilton's total — which has been the world record for decades — is, according to him, 1,387 matches. Guinness World Records — the authoritative reference book and website that lists and collates records in a variety of different fields — say he played 1,390. So what is Shilton's real number? And how far behind is Fabio? Or has the Brazilian already surpassed Shilton? Here, The Athletic explains the situation, defines an official, senior game and lays out the facts concerning both men's totals. Firstly, which matches are classed as official and what level of competition do they have to be in to reach this threshold? In club football it is largely obvious — pre-season friendlies are not official matches but, once they are over, every game within a recognised competition (so excluding winter-break friendlies) played by a club's first team is classed as official and added to the record books. For the purposes of working out who has played the most official games in the sport's history, matches played for amateur clubs or for clubs outside a country's national league system (e.g. in regional leagues) are not counted as they are not classed as top-level fixtures. When it comes to international football, any match played by a country's senior first team is classed as official unless explicitly stated otherwise by FIFA — but age-group appearances (e.g. for England's under-17s) are not. This is why matches at the Olympics, where squads are made up of players who were under the age of 23 at the start of the calendar year with three exceptions permitted, are not included in players' career stats (even Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't count his goal at the 2004 Olympics for Portugal in his overall total). So, let's start with Shilton. How many official games did he actually play in a career that saw him appear for Leicester City, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, Bolton Wanderers, Leyton Orient and the England national team? According to the English National Football Archive, an online database listing every official game played in the country's history, Shilton, now 75, played 348 games for Leicester, 121 for Stoke, 272 for Nottingham Forest, 242 for Southampton, 211 for Derby, 43 for Plymouth, two for Bolton and 10 for Leyton Orient. Shilton was also on the books at Wimbledon, Coventry City and West Ham United towards the end of his time as a professional, but never appeared in a competitive game for those three clubs. This means he played 1,249 games in his almost 31-year club career. Add in the record 125 England appearances he made from 1970 to 1990 and that takes him to 1,374 matches. So why does Shilton himself, in the biography section of his X account, state the total as 1,387? And why do Guinness World Records, on their website, have it as 1,390? Advertisement The 1,387 figure likely includes 13 games that Shilton played for England's under-23s team from 1968 to 1972, with four of those matches coming after his debut for the England senior team. England under-23s played from 1954 to 1976, before becoming the under-21s side that still exists today. So while established players featured in these games it is a stretch to class them as senior matches and therefore it seems reasonable not to include them in players' career stats — just as other international age-group matches aren't due to the fact they are not appearances for the senior team. As for Guinness World Records, their figure of 1,390 likely includes 16 games in unofficial or regional cup competitions, such as the Nottinghamshire FA County Cup and Derbyshire FA Centenary Cup that are not classed by the English National Football Archive as official matches. Guinness World Records did not provide a breakdown when contacted by The Athletic. This, therefore, leaves the former goalkeeper on 1,374 official, senior games of football. Now, to Fabio and that figure of 1,375 that he has to his name. The 44-year old has never played for a club outside Brazil and has not represented the national team. His 28-year career (and counting) has seen him appear in official, senior games for Uniao Bandeirante, Vasco da Gama, Cruzeiro and Fluminense. According to Globo, Brazil's biggest daily newspaper who have gone back through Fabio's career in detail, including contacting clubs for information, the goalkeeper played 30 games for Uniao Bandeirante, 150 for Vasco da Gama, 976 for Cruzeiro and is currently on 219 games for Fluminense. Fabio did also play for Athletico Paranaense in the late 1990s, but all of his appearances for the club, according to Athletico Paranaense, came in youth games. Advertisement Adding up the official games he has played for the senior first team at each club puts him on 1,375 matches, one ahead of Shilton. However, as The Athletic's Jack Lang has pointed out, Fluminense are accepting Shilton's figure of 1,387 so will mark the milestone when Fabio, all being well, eclipses that number later this year. This is why there was no fanfare when Fabio played against Borussia Dortmund at the Club World Cup in New Jersey on Tuesday. Yet it does appear after carefully assessing the figures available that the Fluminense goalkeeper has now played the most senior games in the history of football. Shilton posted on social media in 2023 about the prospect of his record being broken and while the Englishman is fiercely proud of his landmark, it appears there is nothing but respect between the two goalkeepers. I'll be the first to congratulate Fabio Deivson Lopes Maciel @FluminenseFC this great goalkeeper is only 52 games short of breaking my world record for the most official appearances as a professional footballer…. He's getting close ! ⚽️@FIFAcom — Peter Shilton (@Peter_Shilton) December 23, 2023 How long Fabio goes on playing is anyone's guess, but as Fluminense's clear first-choice No 1 he will presumably be confident of hitting the 1,400-mark. There is one important footnote, however. Portuguese superstar Ronaldo, who is 40 and still playing for club and country, has appeared in 1,281 official, senior games in his career — a figure bettered by only Fabio and Shilton. The Al Nassr forward is likely to be able to play in Saudi Arabia for as long as he wants and, perhaps more pertinently, is 62 short of 1,000 career goals — a milestone he is desperate to achieve. Only time will tell if he ends up surpassing the goalkeepers ahead of him. What is all-but certain though, is that it will be Fabio, not Shilton, whose record Ronaldo will try and chase down. (Top photos: Getty Images)
New York Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Fabio: The 44-year-old goalkeeper who makes Messi look young at the Club World Cup
Quiz question: who is the oldest player at the Club World Cup? Francesco Acerbi or Lionel Messi? Both 37. Miles off, sorry. Franco Armani (38) and Luka Modric (39) are closer. Thiago Silva, still going strong at 40 for Fluminense, would be a good guess. It would still be wrong. No, the prize goes to Fabio Deivson Lopes Maciel. When he starts in goal for Fluminense against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, he will be 44 years and 260 days old. Advertisement It is an incredible number. Here's an even better one: it will be the 1,375th senior competitive appearance of his career. No, seriously. Read that sentence again, let it percolate. 1,375 games. That isn't a CV; it's an edifice. Already, Fabio is second on the list of the leading appearance-makers in the history of football. He has clambered beyond Gianluigi Buffon and Rogerio Ceni, past Barry Hayles and Paul Bastock. (It must be said that it is a deeply puzzling list.) Cristiano Ronaldo has put up a good fight but remains in the rear-view, to the tune of 100-odd matches. Now, just one target remains. Peter Shilton has been the clubhouse leader here for as long as anyone would care to remember. He references it on the biography section of his X account, speaks about it in interviews. The record is part of his identity. It is also quite woolly. Guinness World Records says Shilton made 1,390 career appearances. Shilton believes the number is 1,387, although that may include appearances for England's under-23 side. Take those out of the equation, and the tally might be as low as 1,374. Which, of course, would put Fabio level with him ahead of Tuesday's match. In the absence of a forensic analysis of Shilton's early years, caution is probably advisable. Fluminense are playing it safe; they are working off Shilton's own number and plan to celebrate Fabio's feat a few weeks further down the line. One thing is clear, however: he will get there. Fabio is 45 in September but there is no suggestion that time is running out. He is still Fluminense's undisputed No 1, still one of the best goalkeepers in Brazil. In May, he signed a new contract that will take him through to the end of 2026. Shilton's record is on borrowed time. The giddy heights of the 1,400s beckon. Fabio made his professional debut in 1997 for a team that no longer exists. He played 30 matches for Uniao Bandeirante, then 150 for Vasco da Gama, winning the Brazilian championship in 2000. It was at Cruzeiro, though, that Fabio really settled into his groove. Between 2005 and 2021, he made 976 appearances for the Belo Horizonte club — a cool 343 more than anyone else in their history. He captained them to back-to-back league titles in 2013 and 2014. 'The Blue Wall,' fans called him. Opposition strikers usually went for something a little more profane. Advertisement It was not all plain sailing. His lowest ebb came in 2007, when he carelessly turned his back on the play in the final of the Minas Gerais state championship, allowing Atletico Mineiro forward Vanderlei to shoot into an empty net. They were 3-0 down but it was a huge error, all the worse for coming against Cruzeiro's biggest rivals. For a time, it looked like it might undermine his whole career. 'It messed me up,' he explained later. 'I completely lost all sense of reason. I thought that goal was going to define me forever.' In the wake of it, Fabio turned to God. Today, he sprinkles every interview with references to his faith. It was the same back in 2014, when he admitted that he was considering retiring at the end of his contract. 'If it's God's will for me to stop in 2016, I'll be satisfied,' he said. 'It won't be a surprise to me.' Eleven years on, he is still trucking. The kit has changed — Cruzeiro let him go at the end of 2021, much to his chagrin — but he is still the ultra-reliable goalkeeper that emerged from the wreckage of that early brain melt. Case in point: his starring role in Fluminense's 2023 Copa Libertadores win, which stamped their passport for this trip to the U.S. He has taken on more of a leadership role, setting the tone with his professionalism. 'He's a genius, spectacular,' Fernando Diniz, the coach who masterminded that Libertadores success, said in 2023. 'He's a light person, positive, a leader who is liked by everyone. He deserves every bit of praise he gets.' The secret to Fabio's longevity? Ignoring conventional wisdom. Resistance training? Fabio doesn't do weights. Massages? Fabio doesn't like those. Prioritising rest above all else? Err… 'I normally sleep for about three hours a night,' Fabio told Globo last year. 'It's not much, but it's enough for me to recover.' Advertisement Anyone looking to emulate him would do better to focus on his mentality. Once upon a time, Fabio would vent about not getting a chance with the Brazil national team — not an unreasonable complaint, but one that he seemed unable to let go. Today, though? He seems entirely at peace with his lot, an elder statesman enjoying his career's extended outro. 'Whole generations of players who I used to play with have stopped,' he said on Fluminense TV in March. 'I could never have imagined this career when I was growing up. Only God could have made this possible.' And Shilton's milestone? 'I'm thankful for all the praise,' Fabio said. 'But I never thought about records, and it's still the same today. I just want to enjoy this to the maximum.' You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game for free
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Kyle Walker on verge of completing perfect England centurion XI – but Trent and Man City limbo put 100th cap at threat
KYLE WALKER may have had a shocker against Senegal - but he is now just four caps away from completing England's perfect centurion XI. The Manchester City veteran struggled badly on his 96th cap in Tuesday's 3-1 friendly defeat at the City Ground, which was our first-ever loss to an African nation. It left many fans wondering if he will even make it to a 97th cap, let alone 100, although Thomas Tuchel 's comments afterwards will have reassured the 35-year-old. And should he manage to dust himself down and convince the German of giving him the quartet needed to reach a century, he will be the eleventh player in Three Lions history to make it to triple figures. And in a coincidental twist of fate, if Walker does hit 100 then he would be the final piece in the jigsaw to complete a tonne-up team. In goal is our nation's record appearance-maker Peter Shilton on 125 games. Walker would take the right-back slot, with former Arsenal and Chelsea star Ashley Cole at left-back on 107. In central defence, World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore (108) lines up alongside Billy Wright. The latter was a one-club man for Wolves just after the war and became the first player in world football to reach 100 caps for his country, ending on 105 in 1959. Playing out wide left in a 4-4-2 formation is the late Sir Bobby Charlton, who netted a stunning 49 goals in 106 caps, winning our only World Cup in 1966. 5 5 5 On the right wing is ex-captain David Beckham, who The Sun exclusively revealed will be knighted in the King's upcoming Birthday Honours List, on 115. In the middle is Steven Gerrard (114) and Frank Lampard (106), trying to ignore the old debate of whether they could actually play together as a midfield pairing. Roy Keane slams 'LAZY' Kyle Walker for role in Senegal goal vs England as ITV star says 'can't make mistakes like that' Up top are our two greatest goalscorers - and arguably two best strikers, though Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Jimmy Greaves may have something to say about that. Harry Kane leads the line, having blasted an astonishing 73 goals in 107 caps, with his latest of each coming against the Senegalese. Wayne Rooney, whose goals record Kane surpassed two years ago, completes the awesome line-up thanks to 53 goals in 120 caps. Only three England bosses made it to 100 games in charge, including the first two, Walter Winterbottom (139), Sir Alf Ramsey (113) and, years later, Sir Gareth Southgate (102). Walker, 35, is desperate to make it to 100 caps. After winning his 80th in a 2-0 win over Malta in November 2023, he said: 'That's one of my big objectives. 'There are very few players that are in that bracket and have made it to the 100 club. 'If I can do that I'll be over the moon and delighted from when I first started in 2011 when I got my first call-up under (Fabio) Capello.' Walker could complete his century before the year is out, with England having six World Cup qualifiers between September and October. But given the level of competition at full-back, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James and Tino Livramento, and Walker seemingly having no future at City, it is by no means a given he will do it. Walker also seems in limbo club-wise, with City not taking him to the Club World Cup and a return to AC Milan, where he spent the second half of the season on loan, looking off the cards. Tuchel feels the treble-winner's lack of recent action contributed to his dire display against the Senegalese where his touch was rusty and he looked uncharacteristically slow. But the former Chelsea boss remains a huge fan of Walker, which will give the full-back confidence his century dream can be realised. Asked why Walker deserved to play against Senegal in his post-match press conference, Tuchel said: 'Because it counts also what he did in the first camp. "His first two matches were good. He was a regular player at Milan and then broke his elbow. 'Once we saw him in camp, he trained at the highest level, I felt him very composed, very proud to be in the camp. "He took responsibility, he helped everyone out and pushed the standards and levels. I think he deserved to play. 'I see the lack of rhythm, clearly, the lack of rhythm in misjudgements and duels and anticipation, of course. 'That is also maybe the nature of a June camp and a player who does not have every minute in his legs lately and has struggled to come back because of injury and the contract situation when he was just on loan.' 5
Telegraph
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Gary Lineker: I'm to blame for England's Italia 90-penalty defeat
Gary Lineker has shouldered the blame for England's Italia 90-penalty defeat to West Germany in 1990 after revealing that he handed goalkeeper Peter Shilton the wrong tactics. Shilton, now 75, failed to save any of the penalties in the World Cup semi-final clash in Turin after former striker Lineker told him to stand still, leading West Germany to win the shoot-out at 4-3 to reach the World Cup final. Lineker, who scored the equaliser that saw the clash end 1-1 after extra time, admitted he had advised Shilton that German players were likely to shoot the ball straight down the middle at least twice during the shoot-out. Shilton, England's most-capped player with 125 caps, was left diving late. Speaking about the penalty defeat on the What Did You Do Yesterday? podcast, Lineker said: 'That was my fault. Because I roomed with Peter Shilton, and we kept watching these penalty shoot-outs, because they were quite a new thing back then. 'I said to him, there's always two penalties straight down the middle. If the keeper just stands, he's going to save two, for sure. 'And so that was the plan. So that's why he went the right way on every penalty, but every penalty they stuck in the corner. I was to blame.' Lineker hosted his final episode of BBC's Match of the Day on May 26, having taken on the role in 1999. He broke down in tears at tributes from various famous faces and his family to his career on the show. After 25 years in the presenter's chair, he left the corporation 14 months early after coming under fire for sharing a pro-Palestine video that featured an illustration of a rat, an image used by the Nazis as a slur against Jewish people. Lineker later apologised for reposting the picture. He thanked viewers, telling them: 'Let me take the opportunity to thank all the other pundits I've had the pleasure of working with over the last 25 years. You've made my job so much easier. 'Also, thanks to all those you don't see at home. The work that goes into making this iconic show is a huge team effort. From the editors to the analysis team, from the commentators to the floor managers, from the producers to the camera operators, from the PAs to the subs. 'Thank you all, you're the very best. Everyone else did all the hard work and I got the plaudits. It's been an absolute privilege to host Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It's been utterly joyous.'
The Sun
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I'm a mum-of-six who blew benefits on secret £150-a-day scratchcard addiction – no one had idea about my reckless habit
OPENING my purse, I stared at the crisp £10 note – the last of my week's benefits to support our family of eight. Most people would have felt a wave of panic, but I was gripped by a familiar adrenalin surge as I dashed in to the corner shop and exchanged it for scratchcards. 5 To an outsider, it might have looked reckless, even selfish, to gamble away the last of my Universal Credit. But the truth is, I'd been doing it for 20 years. Worse still, my secret compulsion — hidden from everyone I loved, including my husband — was costing me an unbelievable £150 a week. Now, as I celebrate one year free from a scratchcard addiction that nearly tore my family apart, it's hard to believe it all began with a single £1 card back in 2005, when I was just 25. The brightly coloured tickets had always stood out to me as I queued at the tills, and I'd wondered what I might win if I bought one. Handing over the cash on that run-of-the-mill day, when curiosity just happened to get the better of me, I felt excited to have one of the £1 cards in my hand. I started scratching away, dreaming of the £100,000 jackpot, and couldn't believe it when I saw that I had won £20. I was ecstatic and immediately bought 20 more cards of the same kind. But, to my dismay, I didn't win a penny on any of them. Without realising it, I was already hooked. I'd felt so elated, it was a massive buzz — and I wanted that again. I started obsessing over what I'd do with the money when I won big. I daydreamed about buying my two boys — the eldest of the six I have now, currently aged 28 and 23, the treats they begged for. S Club 7's Jo O'Meara and England football legend Peter Shilton speak about their gambling addiction I was on benefits back then, as I'd been a full-time mum since I'd had my first baby aged 17. My husband Michael, now 52 and a furniture maker, was unemployed. We didn't have much money and the idea of a lucky break was so tempting. So the following day, I found myself heading back to the shop to buy my next card — and it became a daily habit. Every time I clutched one in my hand, I felt exhilarated and thought this would be our chance to have a better life. 'Sobbed for hours and finally confessed' Despite then having sons aged 13 and eight to raise, I continued to chase the jackpot by spending £5 a day on tickets. But within three months, that had doubled to £10 a day — all at the same corner shop. If I got lucky, I'd go straight back to the cashier with my winnings to buy more cards. No one had any idea about my habit. I knew it wasn't healthy, but it never occurred to me how much I was actually spending. I was addicted to the thrill as I would get a win roughly three times a week, usually only £10 or so. After a couple of months, I scooped £100 — my biggest amount to date — but I spent the lot on more scratchcards. When I walked in to the shop, the cashier would say: 'Here for your cards?' My destructive behaviour went on for 16 years, which sounds incredible to me now, but is sadly not unusual. As a mum, it was my outlet for stress, my secret. I always made sure I kept back the £70 I needed for the week from my benefits. Deep down, I was ashamed and couldn't bring myself to admit to Michael what I was doing — and I'd make sure to toss the cards away in public bins before I went home. This destructive behaviour went on for 16 years, which sounds incredible to me now. But sadly, it is not unusual. Women typically mask gambling addictions for seven years, according to charity Gamble Aware. In December 2021, things suddenly intensified when I won £500 on a £5 scratchcard. This time, I didn't plough it all into more tickets, though. Instead, I used it to buy my Christmas shopping, as I was a mum to five children by then. Normally, I couldn't afford to buy them presents, but that year I handed them the Smyths Toys catalogue and let them take their pick. I had used scratchcards every day during each of my pregnancies, and bought them as soon as I was fit enough to get out of the house after each birth. And I was so happy that it seemed to have paid off, and that I could finally buy the kids the £70 toys they wanted. On Christmas morning, they grinned from ear to ear as they ripped open computer tablets, Barbie houses and talking dolls. I felt so proud to have been able to give them what they deserved — but that merely served as a catalyst for more gambling. In fact, from that moment on, I was at the shops buying as many scratchcards as I could afford on benefits. I got £700 a month in Universal Credit, and would set aside as little as possible for my weekly food shops and bills — so that everything else could fund my gambling habit. 5 My family were my priority - if I ran out of money and my husband didn't have any I'd sell my stuff to buy cards. Now I'm free from scratchcards, I'd say you shouldn't use benefit money to buy them, but in addiction it warps your mind. I was buying from several places now, not just the corner shop, and I didn't realise how many scratchcards I was snapping up. I'd also never made a conscious decision to use my benefit money. I was just hooked. If I ran out of cash, I'd ask Michael, who was working by then, for some — lying to him that it was for food. He never questioned it. He'd just place a note in my hand and I'd run to the shop to bulk buy scratchcards. At the time, I didn't feel bad. When it's an addiction, you don't think like that. I feel so guilty about it now. I wish I had told him sooner. In 2023, when I won another £500, my spending shot up from £50 to £150 a day. I was chasing my tail, determined to get a jackpot of a million quid. I really felt that what I was doing was for the benefit of my family, and I was spending around 30 minutes each day walking to at least three shops to hide my addiction. Then, one day at the end of May last year, reality hit. I had gone on my usual scratchcard jaunt, splurging £50 on £5 cards in one newsagent. I forked out £50 more, and won £20, but then I went to another corner shop and lost the lot. My heart sank when I realised that was £120 gone in a heartbeat. And suddenly, I knew that I couldn't keep doing this. 5 5 I totalled up my spending on gambling and realised that, over 20 years, I'd thrown roughly £98,500 at my card addiction. We live in a rented house — that money could have been put towards a deposit to buy our dream home. Instead, it was gone. I sobbed for hours. That day, after pulling myself together, I finally confessed my addiction to Michael. He was shocked by how much I'd spent on scratchcards, but he wasn't angry and he didn't shout. He told me he wished I hadn't kept it a secret for so long. He just looked deflated. His reaction was a reminder of why I love him so much. After the shock had subsided, we made a plan to kick my habit for good. I went cold turkey, cutting scratch cards out completely, making sure I never ventured out alone so I didn't get the urge to buy any. HOW TO TACKLE A GAMBLING ADDICTION IN FIVE STEPS MARIE'S story shows how quickly buying 'just one more' scratch card can spiral into a devastating habit. If you're struggling with gambling, here are TV psychologist Emma Kenny's five steps to help. ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM Recognise your behaviour for what it is and admit that it's become harmful. Acceptance is key before real change can happen SEEK SUPPORT Confiding in someone you trust can bring immense relief. Friends, family, or even online support groups offer practical help and reduce feelings of isolation, just like Marie opening up to her husband. SET FIRM BOUNDARIES Limit your access to tempting situations by avoiding gambling environments or going shopping with a companion. Marie stopped going out alone initially, removing the chance to secretly buy scratch cards. ESTABLISH FINANCIAL CONTROLS Hand over control of your finances or arrange automatic bill payments to minimise impulse spending. Tracking daily expenses can reveal the true cost of gambling and reinforce new habits. CONSIDER PROFESSIONAL HELP Contact dedicated hotlines, counsellors, or charities that specialise in gambling support. They can guide you with tailored strategies and provide accountability. Walking into a supermarket, I couldn't even glance in the direction of the counter where they were displayed. I had to be strict with myself. It took every bit of strength I had, but I never relapsed. Finally, after six months, the urge started to subside and I could go out alone again. I was able to walk into a newsagent, look at scratchcards and think, 'I don't miss you'. I've told the children who are old enough to understand, and they are so proud of me. Now, I have found an unusual way to keep my gambling urge at bay — by viewing videos on YouTube of other people losing money on scratchcards. Watching three or four a day reminds me how much I frittered away. It's heartbreaking to think that if I hadn't spent that money, and had saved it instead, I would effectively have won the jackpot I originally dreamed of — but I can't live off regret. What I can do is tell my story in the hope it helps others. Addiction isn't something to be ashamed of — and it IS possible to beat it. Just remember you're highly unlikely to land that big win — you won't even make your money back in the long term. All you're doing is chasing a dream.
