Cristiano Ronaldo has shared a heartfelt message for his former teammate Pepe, who has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 41.

Pepe, the iconic Portuguese defender, has concluded a distinguished 23-year career. He enjoyed significant success with both Porto and Real Madrid, where he earned three La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies across 334 appearances. His contributions were also crucial to Portugal’s victories at the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 UEFA Nations League.

In his later years, Pepe continued to impress, notably at Euro 2024, where he played a key role as Portugal reached the quarterfinals before falling to France.

Ronaldo, who shared many of these achievements with Pepe at Real Madrid and the Portugal national team, took to Instagram to honor his friend. He posted a tribute alongside a picture of the two, saying:

“No words to express how much you mean to me, my friend. We won everything there was to win on the field, but the biggest achievement is the friendship and respect I have for you. You are unique, my brother. Thank you for everything.”

While Ronaldo, now 39, is also nearing the end of his illustrious career, he continues to play for Portugal and Al Nassr, and could remain active for a few more years.