When Pepe announced his retirement from soccer on Thursday, everyone immediately thought about Cristiano Ronaldo. Together, they’ve created unforgettable memories with Portugal and Real Madrid.
Sadly, all good things come to an end, and the veteran defender has called it a career at 41. It didn’t take long for Ronaldo to react to this news, with the 39-year-old dedicating a heartfelt letter to his former teammate.
“There aren’t enough words to express how much you mean to me, my friend,” Cristiano wrote in Portuguese on Instagram along with many pictures of him and Pepe together. “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 one of a kind, my brother. Thank you for so much.”
With this news, Pepe and Ronaldo’s last dance together came at the UEFA Euro 2024. The defender became the oldest player to compete in a European Championship this summer in Germany, where Portugal lost to France on penalties in the quarterfinals.
How many titles have Ronaldo and Pepe won together?
Pepe and Cristiano Ronaldo have won an impressive 15 titles as teammates — 13 for Real Madrid and two with the Portuguese national team. And they forged an unbreakable bond all these years.
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Former teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid announces retirement from soccer
The two legends met early in their careers at Sporting CP, where Pepe had a trial while Ronaldo was already part of the club. The center-back didn’t make it through, but their paths were destined to cross again.
The reunion came in 2007, when Pepe earned his first call-up from Portugal. That same year, he joined Real Madrid, where he would strengthen his bond with CR7 when the striker moved to the Santiago Bernabeu two years later.
Pepe of Portugal is consoled by teammate Cristiano Ronaldo following the team’s defeat in the penalty shoot out during the UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final match between Portugal and France at Volksparkstadion on July 05, 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.
For how long have Ronaldo and Pepe played together and which titles have they won?
Pepe and Ronaldo spent eight seasons together in the Spanish capital until the former left for Besiktas in 2017. Their club titles together include two LaLigas, three UEFA Champions League trophies, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, two Copas del Rey, and two Spanish Super Cups.
With Portugal, Pepe and Ronaldo led the country to its first major title at the UEFA Euro 2016 before helping the team lift the UEFA Nations League in 2019.
