Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo bid farewell to his fellow countryman and national team mate Pepe with an emotional message after the latter announced his retirement from football. Pepe announced his retirement on Thursday evening at the age of 41 after a career spanning over 20 years in European football.
Ronaldo shared a picture on his official Instagram account of himself with Pepe holding the trophy of the UEFA Euro Championship they won together with Portugal in 2016, and wrote: "There are no words to express what you mean to me, my friend."
He added: "We have won everything possible on the pitch together, but the greatest achievement is the friendship and respect I have for you. You are one of a kind, my brother. Thank you."
Pepe's last match with the Portuguese national team was a penalty shootout loss against France in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Euro 2024 last month, after which he was seen crying.
Pepe played 141 matches for Portugal, the third-highest number of appearances after Ronaldo (211) and João Moutinho (146). In his club career, Pepe won three UEFA Champions League titles and three La Liga titles with Real Madrid between 2007 and 2017. The last club he played for was Portuguese side Porto, which he joined for the second time in 2019.
