Pepe Retires: A Football Legend Hangs Up His Boots
Former Real Madrid and Porto defender Pepe has brought down the curtain on a glittering football career at the age of 41.
The veteran defender left Porto FC at the start of the summer before leading Portugal to UEFA Euro 2024, earning his 141st cap in the quarter-final defeat to France, and has now decided to put his career to good use.
In an emotional 33-minute video on YouTube, Pepe said: “I want to thank God for giving me the wisdom to continue my journey. I can’t help but thank all the presidents who bet on me and believed in me. All the employees of all the clubs in which I was, they are the soul and essence of the national team, all my teammates and coaches who helped me grow and compete in football every day.
“Jorg Mendes, Gestifute, 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 for, that they believed in me, that they were a vital support in my life, that they supported me when I left home so that I could go with a clear conscience to everyone, give them a big thank you and a big hug, thank you all very much.”
Pepe came through the academy at Maritim before making a name for himself at Porto and earning a big-money move to Real Madrid in 2007. He spent ten years at the Santiago Bernabeu, playing 334 games and winning three La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions Leagues.
“At the end of his football career, Pepe leaves us with an example of professionalism, dedication and, above all, an enormous passion for football and the National Team,” Portuguese Football Federation president Fernando Gomes said in a statement.
“Pepe is an example of extraordinary professionalism. I remember well how he participated in the Euro 2016 final, or how he played with a broken arm in the match against Morocco in the World Cup in Qatar and how he performed, at 41 years old, with the same passion, dedication and pride at UEFA EURO 2024.
“At this time when Pepe has decided to end his football career, I cannot, as president of the FPF, fail to thank him for these 17 years serving the national team.
“Pepe has always expressed his gratitude to the National Team and to Portugal for the opportunity given to him to establish himself as one of the greatest central defenders in the history of Portuguese, European and world football.”
