RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Veteran Brazilian forward Marinho has shrugged off talk of retirement as he seeks to extend his career into his late 30s.

Marinho, who will turn 35 in May, is contracted to Brazilian Serie A side Fortaleza until next December, but he plans to continue playing in 2026 and beyond.

"I want to end when I no longer have any breath and energy," he told Globo Esporte. "I'm running like a young boy, and that's evident in my recent matches. In the last game against Inter, I ran 10km. There are younger players who don't even run 8km."

Marinho, whose real name is Mario Costa, made 47 appearances across all competitions for Fortaleza in 2024, scoring eight goals and providing five assists.

But he said he still has more to give and vowed to improve his statistics next year.

"I can go even further. I want to fulfill my contract at Fortaleza," he said. "I have goals to achieve, targets to beat. We have many competitions ahead, and I want to have a great year with Fortaleza to repay the faith that the fans have shown in me."

Marinho began his career at Fluminense and has since had spells at Internacional, Cruzeiro, Changchun Yatai, Gremio, Santos and Flamengo, among other clubs.

But his fondest memories are from his time with Vitoria in 2016, when he netted 21 times in 43 matches.

"The club where I want to end my career is Vitoria," he said. "It's the club that projected me and gave me opportunities." Enditem

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