Pepe, the long-time defensive star of the Portuguese national football team, Real Madrid and Porto, ends his successful playing career.
Pepe41, told about it on his Instagram account, and the Portuguese Football Federation also thanked the legendary defender on its website.
Pepe played his last match at the summer European Championship when Portugal lost to France in the quarter-finals. In the tournament, the Portuguese became the oldest field player in European Championship history.
Brazilian-born Pepe played 141 matches for the Portugal A national team, and only Cristiano Ronaldo (212) and João Moutinho (146). Pepe, who won the European Championship in 2016, made his international debut in the November 2007 EC qualifying match against Finland.
Pepe represented Real Madrid at the club team level between 2007 and 2017 and won the Spanish League and the Champions League three times with the club. In the six previous seasons, the defender represented the great Portuguese club Porto.