Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio Deivson Lopes Maciel has set a new record for all-time competitive football appearances, surpassing the previous record held by former England international Peter Shilton for 28 years. The Brazilian reached 1,391 competitive appearances, one more than Shilton's officially recognised tally of 1,390, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records.
The 44-year-old achieved the milestone during Fluminense's 2-0 win over America de Cali in the Copa Sudamericana. He was presented with a commemorative plate, painting, and a shirt to mark the occasion. Club president Mario Bittencourt attended the celebration, and a video of tributes was played before the match at the Maracana.
Fabio's career spans multiple eras: he played in the 1997 Fifa Under-17 World Cup alongside Ronaldinho, while 16 of his current Fluminense teammates were born after his professional debut. He joined Fluminense in 2022 and has made 235 appearances for the club, winning the Copa Libertadores in 2023 and reaching the Club World Cup final.
The majority of his appearances came during a 16-year spell at Cruzeiro from 2005 to 2021, where he featured 976 times. He also played 150 times for Vasco da Gama and 30 for Uniao Bandeirante. Unlike Shilton, who earned 125 international caps, Fabio has never played for Brazil's national team.
Fabio also holds the record for the most clean sheets in football history, with 507, surpassing former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. He set that benchmark in a 0-0 draw with Mamelodi Sundowns at this year's Club World Cup.
