Portuguese Footballer Pepe Announces Retirement

 Professional footballer, Kepler Laveran de Lima Ferreira, better known as Pepe, has announced his retirement from football. The 41 year old centre-back announced his retirement via a video posted on his official Instagram account with the caption "OBRIGADO" which means "thank you" in Portuguese. Pepe’s last game was in the Euro 2024, where Portugal was defeated by France on penalties in the quarterfinals. He's currently the oldest player to appear at a European Championship finals tournament.

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widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs of his generation, Pepe played for Marítimo, Porto, Real Madrid, and Beşiktaş, with most individual and team success in the middle two clubs. With Real Madrid, he played 330 games, winning three La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League titles, two FIFA Club World Cup titles, and two Copa del Rey titles.He has also won four Primeira Liga titles and three Taça de Portugal titles with Porto, where he retired at the end of his second spell in 2024. Earning 141 caps throughout his career, Pepe played at four FIFA World Cups, five UEFA European Championships, and was part of the team that won Euro 2016, being named player of the match in the final.