Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to his compatriot Pepe, who announced his retirement from football at the age of 41 on August 8.

Ronaldo has been playing alongside Pepe for a long time.

Ronaldo has been playing alongside Pepe for a long time.

“There are no words to describe what you mean to me,” Ronaldo shared on social media. “Together, we won everything on the pitch. However, the greatest achievement is my friendship and respect for you. Pepe, you are unique. Thank you for everything.”

The defeat to France in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals was Pepe’s last match of his career. At 41, the Portuguese centre-back has 141 caps for the national team. He also became the oldest player to appear at a Euro finals.

In the club’s jersey, Pepe spent 10 years with Real Madrid , in which he played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for 8 seasons. At Santiago Bernabeu, the central defender born in 1983 won 3 La Liga championships , 3 Champions Leagues , and 2 FIFA Club World Cups.

In 2019, Pepe left Real Madrid to return to his hometown to play for Porto. After the end of the 2023/24 season, the club’s leadership changed, leading to Pepe no longer being valued. At the end of the Euro 2024 finals, Porto also announced their farewell to the “veteran” center-back.