Portugal, Real Madrid great Pepe retires at 41

Portugal and former Real Madrid legend Pepe has decided to retire at the age of 41. Pepe recently played in Euro 2024 for the national team and his last game in the national colors came against France, which they lost on penalties in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The defender made 141 appearances for Portugal, only behind Ronaldo (211) and João Moutinho (146).

The trio of – Pepe, Ronaldo and Moutinho – were part of Portugal’s winning squad in the Euro 2016 after they defeated France by 1-0 in the final.

Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to his teammate in a social media post.

“There are not enough words to express how much you mean to me, friend,” Ronaldo posted on X.

“We won everything there was to win on the field, but the greatest achievement is the friendship and respect I have for you. You are unique, my brother. Thank you for so much.”

Meanwhile, Pepe also played for Real Madrid for a decade and spent eight years with Ronaldo at Los Blancos.

Pepe had a glittering career of 23 years and he said on his Instagram video, “I want to thank God for giving me the wisdom to be able to continue my journey. I cannot fail to thank all the presidents who believed in me and believed in me. All the employees of all the clubs I have been to, they are the soul and essence of the national team. All my teammates and coaches, who helped me grow and compete every day. All the fans, who are the soul of football.”

He added, “To Jorge Mendes, to Gestifute, to my mother, who was essential in my journey by letting me fly towards my dream, which was to be a professional footballer. To all my friends and family, especially my wife, who was my home in my absence. My children for believing in me, for being a fundamental support in my life, for supporting me when I left home to play. They were the support I needed to be able to go with a clear conscience. I would like to thank everyone, give them my thanks and a hug of gratitude. Thank you all very much.”