Angel Mateos Gonzalez, a 70-year-old former miner, is set to make history this weekend as he prepares to feature for Spanish fifth-tier side CD Colunga. The goalkeeper will likely become the oldest player to appear in an official match in Spain when his team faces Praviano on Sunday in the Tercera Federacion.
Colunga announced the decision as a "tribute" to Mateos, who originally retired from competitive football at 43. The club emphasized that the move is about celebrating values rather than breaking records.
"This is neither a record nor an oddity. It is a tribute," the Asturian club said on Instagram. "Mateos represents exactly what we stand for at Colunga - passion, consistency, respect for football and a way of living the sport that goes beyond age."
Mateos, who has been assisting the club's goalkeepers this season, told local media he still feels agile despite his age. "I still feel agile," he said. "I've remained active, playing for the Hunosa company team, the Turon veterans' team, and I'm still playing today."
Standing at 5ft 8in, Mateos played for Turon, Caudal, and Santiago de Aller during his career. He recalled how football has changed since his early days: "When I started, it was almost a different sport - the balls, the pitches... I remember I used to keep a cauldron next to the goal so that, without the referee seeing me, I could scoop out water when the pitches got muddy."
Sunday's fixture holds little consequence for Colunga, who sit 10th in the 18-team league with two matches remaining, safe from relegation and out of promotion contention.