Cristiano Ronaldo shows true character with heartfelt message on Instagram

Cristiano Ronaldo has paid a heartfelt tribute to his former-team mate Pepe after the defender decided to retire from football.

Pepe saw fit to call it a day on his illustrious playing career at 41 years old after a remarkable 22 years on the pitch. The former Real Madrid man recorded a 30 minute video to announce his decision and say his goodbyes to him.

The video was filled with highlights from his career, for most of which he spent with Ronaldo. The pair enjoyed eight successful years playing together at Madrid where they won an enivable host of trophies, and also spent 17 years as teammates for the Portuguese national team where they won the European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.

Taking to Instagram, Ronaldo posted a series of images of the duo with the breath-taking amount of trophies they have won together in their careers. He then captioned it: “There are no words to express how much you mean to me, dear friend. We won everything there was to win on the field, but the greatest achievement is the friendship and respect I have for you. You are unique , my brother. Thank you for so much.”

In the video, which was titled “Obrigado” (thank you), Pepe ruminated on the people who helped him in his career. He paid tribute to the “essential” role of his mother in “letting him fly towards his dream of being a professional footballer” and also thanked his family, fans, teammates-and club presidents who “bet” on him.

Ronaldo was not the only big name from the world of football to pay tribute to the no-nonsense center half. Bayer Leverkusen manager and former Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso commented on Pepe’s own farewell post calling him “The best” while ex-Manchetser United defender Rio Ferdinand simply put “Legend”.

Pepe, who was born in Brazil and moved to Portugal at 18 years old played an incredible 894 matches in his career, the last of which came at Euro 2024 in Germany. One of the most decorated defenders in recent times, Pepe scooped up an impressive 31 trophies in his career, including three Champions League trophies, which he won with Real Madrid.

After stints at Maritimo and Sporting Lisbon, Pepe moved to Porto where he won two league titles and the Portuguese Cup. However in 2007 he made a €30million switch to Real Madrid, and it was at the Spanish giants where Pepe won an astonishing two Club World Cups, two European Super Cups, three La Liga title Leagues, two Copa del Reys and two Spanish Super Cups to go with his three European Cup medals.

Pepe left Madrid to join Turkish side Besiktas for one season before returning to Porto. The defender, often noted for his tough and confrontational style, made 141 caps for Portugal, a number that puts him third in appearances for his national team-only behind only Ronaldo and Joao Moutinho.

Commenting on his sterling service, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Fernando Gomes, said: “At the end of his football career, Pepe leaves us an example of professionalism, dedication and, above all, a huge passion for football and the national team.”