LISBON: Portugal defe­nder Pepe has retired from football, the 41-year-old said on Thursday.

Pepe’s last game came at Euro 2024, where Portugal were defeated by France on penalties in the quarter-finals, and he became the oldest player to appear at a European Championship finals tournament.

“I want to thank God for giving me the wisdom to be able to continue my journey,” an emotional Pepe said in a video on social media which looked back on his career.

“I can’t help but also thank all the presidents who bet and believed in me to be able to perform my work. To all the employees of all the clubs I’ve been to, who are the soul and essence of the clubs and the national team. And I want to thank everyone in the background. I want to leave a thank you and a hug of gratitude for all of you. And thank you all very much.”

Pepe made 141 appearances for his country, winning the Euros in 2016, and spent 10 seasons at Real Madrid where he won three La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies, as well as two FIFA Club World Cups.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024