š„ Red cards and records! Looking back on Pepe's iconic 23 year career
Legendary centre-back Pepe officially announced his retirement from football on Thursday following a 23 year career at the top.
šØš šš«šš š£šš¢. š«” Continuaremos sempre juntos: obrigado por tudo, Pepe! āØš« #PartilhaAPaixĆ£o pic.twitter.com/HSnou1I5zI
ā Portugal (@selecaoportugal) August 8, 2024
The 41-year-old first began his career with MarĆtimo before joining Portuguese giants Porto. An eventual switch to Real Madrid was next before joining Besiktas and then Porto again for a farewell tour.
Alongside 141 caps for Portugal, which included winning the 2016 EUROs, his career was one for the books. Here is a look at some of his best moments after 878 games and 34 trophies.
A Los Blancos legend
Following an impressive showing for Porto, Real Madrid signed Pepe in 2007, where he developed an immense partnership with Sergio Ramos at the back.
He played there for 10 seasons, won 13 trophies and made a total of 334 appearances.
āŖļø Real Madrid unveiled new signing Pepe #OTD in 2007. The rest is history.#UCL pic.twitter.com/oGwx2cPgJu
ā UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) July 12, 2021
āIt was amazing to spend 10 years at the biggest club in the world. The first day I set foot in Madrid, I was very happy,ā Pepe said in his retirement announcement.
āAfter 10 years I left with my head held high, I always gave everything for Real Madrid.ā
Pepe's last game for Real Madrid:
Scored in the Madrid derby at BernabƩu. Broke two of his ribs.
Madridista. Warrior. Legend. pic.twitter.com/9N1XkzqOIz
ā Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) August 8, 2024
A red card lover
One of the things that made Pepe so iconic was his aggressive style of play.
If you supported his teams, your anxiety would sometimes be through the roof. If you were with the opposition, you hoped to see him sent off early.
Pepe's disciplinary record:
210 yellow cards šØ
17 red cards š„
40 games missed through suspension āThe definition of defending with aggression š pic.twitter.com/WIcrqKkSbi
ā Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 8, 2024
He was once handed a 10-game suspension after tackling Getafe player Javier Casquero in the box and subsequently kicking him after the fact.
A leader in 2016
After Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off injured in the 2016 EURO final, a different veteran had to rise to the occaison.
It could have been a very different scoreline if manager Fernando Santos had not had Pepe to rely on against France.
A masterclass in defending from Pepe in the EURO 2016 final ššµš¹#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/WJShwCpFOc
ā UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) August 8, 2024
A UCL master
With three Champions League titles to his name, the Portugal defender knew what was required of him on Europeās biggest stage.
Thanks to his skills, attackers worldwide were frustrated whether he played for Porto, Besiktas, or Real Madrid.
Obrigado, Pepe š#UCL pic.twitter.com/CW1d4f4pGL
ā UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 8, 2024
He is also the oldest outfield player to play and score in UCL history.
World Cup glory
You donāt see centre-backs scoring too often, let alone at the World Cup, but Pepe managed to do so twice on the big stage.
He scored in the 2018 Round of 16 against Uruguay and in the Round of 16 four years later against Switzerland.
šš³ šš”š¢š¦ de recordes, golos e tĆtulos ššµš¹ Foi um š£š„šššš„, Pepe. š« #PartilhaAPaixĆ£o pic.twitter.com/r9ewwtHXjk
ā Portugal (@selecaoportugal) August 8, 2024
Those goals are two of his total eight for the national team.
He became the oldest player to score in a knockout round game at the menās World Cup as a result.
That Ronaldo friendship
We of course have to remember the bromance that developed between Pepe and Cristiano Ronaldo.
From the early days in Portugal to Real Madrid and then lifting the countryās first European Cup, it was certainly a friendship to witness.
Ronaldo was among the many players who wrote emotional comments on Pepeās Instagram account following his retirement announcement.
š„¹ā¤ļø Cristano Ronaldo to Pepe: "There are not enough words to express how much you mean to me, friend."
"We won everything there was to win on the field, but the greatest achievement is the friendship & respect I have for you. You are unique, my brother. Thank you for so much." pic.twitter.com/FoydFb2Y6S
ā EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) August 8, 2024
The return to Porto
Many players prefer to end their careers at home, and Pepe was one of them. The Portugal international had two stints with Porto to bookend his career and made 288 appearances, registering 17 goals and 11 assists.
#L3NDA š Momentos que fazem parte da nossa histĆ³ria
Obrigado, Pepeš @officialpepe pic.twitter.com/cB1bzecTeW
ā FC Porto (@FCPorto) August 8, 2024
Truly himself to the end
Pepeās last match for the national team saw him break the record for the oldest outfield player to ever play in a EUROs match. What a way to wrap up your career!
Pepe in the last match of his career at 41 years and 130 days oldā¦
Always a warrior š¤#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/HI52rlb6lH
ā UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) August 8, 2024
What were some of your favourite Pepe moments? Let us know in the comments below.