Portugal, Porto and Real Madrid icon retires with emotional message

Portugal legend Pepe has offered “a hug of gratitude” to his friends and family in a 33-minute video announcing his retirement after 878 club and international appearances.

The 41-year-old said he had “really believed” Portugal would win this summer’s Uefa Euro 2024, where he became the oldest player to take part in the finals, and admitted to “tears of helplessness” when the 2016 champions were knocked out by France on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Victory in Portuguese competition the Taca de Portugal proved Pepe’s final club game of a career which included three Uefa Champions League titles during his time at Real Madrid between 2007 and 2017.

Pepe stats

Pepe began his career with Portuguese side Maritimo in 2002, moving to Porto in 2004. “On my first visit, when I went to the FC Porto office, the chairman opened the curtain for me, raised the blinds and said ‘that will be your home,’” remembered Pepe.

“[The chairman added] ‘Welcome, I hope you will be very happy at FC Porto. Your happiness will be ours’. I remember those words, the games I played at the Estadio do Dragão. It was a club that put me in the spotlight of European football.”

After three impressive seasons with Porto, Madrid signed Pepe for around £26.7m. He went on to win that hat-trick of Champions League trophies and three Liga titles among his honours with the most successful club in Europe before spending a season in Turkey with Besiktas.

He spent the final five years of his playing days with Porto, finishing on 34 trophies across his career, including five Portuguese titles.

Portugal: Pepe caps

Born and raised in Brazil, Pepe became a Portuguese citizen in August 2007 and was capped by Portugal for the first time later that month.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo, on 212 caps, and Joao Moutinho, with 146, have made more appearances for the Selecao than the 141 accumulated by Pepe.

The centre-back thanked his agent Jorge Mendes and representatives, as well as calling his mother “essential in my journey by letting me fly towards my dream, which was to be a professional footballer”.

“My wife was at home in my absence [and I thank] my children for believing in me, for being a fundamental support in my life, for supporting me when I left home to play,” added Pepe.

Porto midfielder Marko Grujic called Pepe “a great character in the dressing room” and “a true captain”. “Of course we will miss a player like him,” added Grujic, via Ojogo.

“This club has to live with what it has. The older players, like me, will try to help the youngsters and do as Pepe did.”