Portuguese-Brazilian center-back Pepe announced this Thursday at the age of 41 the end of his professional football career, in which he played for Real Madrid, Porto, and the Portugal national team.

Pepe made his retirement official in a video shared on his social media, where he reflects on his career and the 31 trophies he won, including three UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid.

In the video titled "Obrigado" (Thank you), Pepe acknowledged the "essential" role of his mother for "letting him chase his dream of becoming a professional footballer" and expressed gratitude to his family, fans, teammates, and the club presidents who "believed in" him.

Born in Brazil and naturalized Portuguese, Pepe played 894 matches throughout his career, with his last appearances being in the 2024 UEFA European Championship in Germany.

Képler Laveran de Lima Ferreira 'Pepe' (Maceió, Brazil, 1983) began his career at Corinthians Alagoano in his hometown of Maceió.

In 2001, at just 19 years old and with only five euros in his pocket, he moved to the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira to join Marítimo.

Three years later, he signed with Porto, where he won two Primeira Liga titles and one Portuguese Cup, marking the first trophies in a collection that expanded when he moved to Spain's capital in 2010, where he spent nearly a decade with Real Madrid.

At Real Madrid, Pepe became a key figure for the team, playing 334 matches and scoring 15 goals. He won 3 UEFA Champions League titles, 2 FIFA Club World Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 3 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey titles, and 2 Spanish Super Cups.

In 2019, he left the Santiago Bernabéu for Turkish club Besiktas, and after a season and a half, he returned to Porto.

Even in the final stages of his career, he remained a crucial player for Porto, captaining the team and adding two more Primeira Liga titles, four Portuguese Cups, and a League Cup to his collection with the "dragons."

Pepe became a naturalized Portuguese citizen in 2007 and retires after representing the Portugal national team 141 times across four World Cups and five European Championships, including the most recent in Germany.

He was instrumental in Portugal's first major achievement, winning the 2016 UEFA European Championship in France, and further enriched Portugal's trophy cabinet by winning the UEFA Nations League in 2019.

"At the end of his football career, Pepe leaves us an example of professionalism, dedication, and, above all, a tremendous passion for football and the national team," said Fernando Gomes, president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), in a statement.