Pepe, a Portuguese defender, said on Thursday that he was quitting professional football. The center back who used to play for Porto, Real Madrid, and Besiktas made the choice at the age of 41. His last game was at Euro 2024 earlier this summer, just like his former teammate Toni Kroos’s.

Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to his longtime Portugal teammate Pepe after the defender announced his retirement from football on Thursday at the age of 41

Pepe’s best years were spent with Real Madrid. He played for Real Madrid from 2007 to 2017 and won 13 major titles during that time: three La Liga wins, three Champions Leagues, two Copa del Reys, two Club World Cups, two Spanish Super Cups, and one UEFA Super Cup. He told everyone on his social media accounts and in a 33-minute video shared to YouTube that he was retiring.

Fans of Real Madrid have happy memories of Pepe. He became a cult hero during his 10 years with the club. Los Blancos should post a tribute in the next few hours, most likely on their own social media pages.