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Veteran Portuguese international Pepe has ended his football career at the age of 41, it was announced on Thursday.
“I would like to thank everyone,” the Brazilian-born player said in a video he posted on his Instagram account, mentioning the clubs he played for, the Portugal national team, and his family.
The veteran centre-back played 878 matches during his football career and won 34 great titles, including the Champions League on three occasions with Real and the European Nations Cup (Euro 2016) with the Portuguese national team.
Pepe has represented his country in 141 international matches, and was part of Portugal's campaign at the last European Championship in Germany (Euro 2024) which saw the team exit in the quarter-finals after losing on penalties to France.
Pepe began his football career in 2002 with the Portuguese team Maritimo, before moving to Porto two years later.
Pepe spent a decade with Real Madrid, winning the Spanish league with them three times, before moving to Turkey with Besiktas, then ending his career at Porto.
The Portuguese club wrote on its official account on the X application, “A career and legacy that will always be an example for any Porto fan.”
“There are only two possible words: congratulations and thank you,” the Portuguese club added in a statement carried by the British news agency PA Media.
