Carlo Ancelotti has been told to reward the player with the most competitive appearances in world football with a first cap for Brazil.

Brazil goalkeeper Fabio Deivson Lopes Maciel broke the record held by England icon Peter Shilton with his 1,391st appearance on Tuesday.

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The 44-year-old, known simply as Fabio, started Fluminense‘s 2-0 win over America de Cali in the last 16 of the Copa Sudamericana, which is the South American equivalent of the Europa League.

The Guinness Book of Records has former England international Shilton as holding the record with 1,390 appearances.

According to the 75-year-old’s official X page, he claims he has played three fewer – which was still a previous world football-high.

However, Fluminense chose to leave no room for doubt by honouring Fabio after he made his 1,391st competitive appearance.

South American football expert Tim Vickery exclusively told talkSPORT’s Kelly & Jacobs: “Peter Shilton held the record for the number of professional games. One thousand three hundred and ninety. He holds it no longer.

“Fabio, 44 years of age, at Fluminense, overtook it last night. I actually think this should be a huge story. 

“I think it should be shouted out on billboards all over the world. What a magnificent achievement.

“44 years of age and ain’t no stopping him now. He’s under contract until the end of next year and he’s going to go on and on and on.

“This is a goalkeeper who, in his 40s, had one of those coaches who demands that you play out from the back.

“He had to learn how to kick a ball in his 40s. How to play out from the back, and he did it.”

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Football’s all-time appearance record broken

Fabio, who made his professional debut in 1997, has spent his entire career in his home country but never earned a senior cap for Brazil.

A mark of his longevity is that year he was competing at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in a team with Ronaldinho, who retired seven years ago.

Fabio, meanwhile, is still in fine form, having started all six matches for Fluminense at the Club World Cup, keeping three clean sheets.

His latest appearance on Tuesday was his 235th game for Renato Gaúcho’s men, which broke Shilton’s 28-year record.

Vickery has been among the growing voices imploring Ancelotti to give Fabio a run-out for Brazil to mark his astonishing achievement.

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“He had an excellent Club World Cup.

“In one of the previous rounds, there happy moment, I think, when they beat Inter Milan; they were really coming under the cosh.

“They scored early, really coming under the cosh. The game was boiling down to a contest between Lautaro Martinez, the Inter Milan Argentine centre forward and Fabio in goal.

“Straight after the game, his old mate, Felipe Melo, you remember him from Juventus, from Turkey, from playing for Brazil in the 2010 World Cup.

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“He was playing for Fluminense until quite recently. He’s now doing media punditry.

“But Felipe Melo said, ‘Look, forget his age. Put him in the Brazil side. He’s good enough.'”

Despite several appearances in senior Brazil squads, Fabio never managed to make his debut, behind Júlio César and Rogério Ceni.

Ancelotti currently has a plethora of options between the sticks in his current squad, headlined by a Premier League trio: Liverpool‘s No.1 Alisson Becker, Manchester City outcast Ederson, and new Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

Fábio still waiting on first Brazil cap

Discussing Brazil’s options, Vickery told talkSPORT: “And the fellow who decided not to join West Ham, John [Victor], may still join Man United. Possible. He’s pretty good.

“They’ve become a breeding ground of goalkeepers, Brazil. Much to our surprise, because when we were kids, that wasn’t the case.

“But it would be lovely to see Fabio get a game from Brazil. And as I say, Felipe Melo is arguing, this wouldn’t be charity.

“Get him in the team. He’s still good enough. He is an extraordinary story.

“He competed for a long time with Julio Cesar, who briefly played for QPR, but is mainly known for Inter Milan and Brazil.

“And kind of Julio Cesar won. Although given the way that those two World Cups that he played turned out, he probably wishes he hadn’t.

“But Fabio’s revenge has been longevity.”