Portugal's Legendary Defender Pepe Hangs Up His Boots

Portugal defender Pepe has announced his retirement from football at the age of 41. His last appearance was at the Euro 2024 quarter-finals. Pepe earned 141 caps for Portugal, winning the Euros in 2016, and had a highly decorated club career with Real Madrid and Porto.

Portugal defender Pepe announced his retirement from football on Thursday at the age of 41. His final appearance came at Euro 2024, where Portugal was defeated by France in a dramatic penalty shootout in the quarter-finals. Remarkably, Pepe also set a record by becoming the oldest player to participate in a European Championship finals tournament.

Throughout his illustrious career, Pepe represented Portugal 141 times. He achieved the pinnacle of international success by winning the Euros in 2016. On the club front, Pepe spent a decade at Real Madrid, securing three LaLiga titles, three Champions League trophies, and two FIFA Club World Cups. He began his journey with the Spanish giants in 2007 after transferring from Porto and eventually returned to the Portuguese club in 2019, where he added four Primeira Liga titles to his impressive resume before calling it a career.

(With inputs from agencies.)