Portugal defender and Real Madrid legend, Kepler Laveran de Lima Ferreira, known as Pepe announces his retirement from football at the age of 41.
The defender retired after writing history as the oldest player to appear in a European Championship finals.
Pepe holds 141 caps for Portugal, placing him behind only Ronaldo and João Moutinho in appearances.
Pepe’s final match was in the quarterfinals of Euro 2024, where Portugal was eliminated by France in a penalty shootout.
Ronaldo wrote to honor Pepe, writing, “There are not enough words to express how much you mean to me, friend. 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.”
Pepe played alongside Ronaldo for both Portugal and Real Madrid. He won numerous titles during his career, including three Champions League trophies with Madrid and the 2016 European Championship with Portugal.
He returned to Porto in 2019, where he concluded his career.
