Portugal centre-back Pepe became the oldest player to appear in a knockout game at a European Championships or World Cup when he started in Portugal’s Round of 16 win over Slovenia on Monday night.
At 41 years and 126 days old, Pepe surpassed the record set by England goalkeeping great Peter Shilton, who represented the Three Lions at 40 years and 292 days of age in their third-place play-off loss to Italy in the 1990 World Cup.
Pepe, who was born in Brazil but opted to represent Portugal, made his debut for his country back in 2007 and has since become a Portugal legend, picking up 140 caps for his country.
Despite reaching the latter stages of his career, Pepe remains a key player at the heart of Portugal’s defence, having started four out of five games at Euro 2024 for Roberto Martinez’s side.
The defender has been a key player for Portugal over the 17 years he has represented his nation, as well as having an illustrious club career playing for the likes of Real Madrid, Porto and Beşiktaş.
Pepe is best known for his 10-year spell in Madrid, where he made 229 appearances for Los Blancos, racking up an impressive 14 trophies, including 3 Champions League titles and 3 La Liga titles.
The 41-year-old veteran also played an important role in Porto’s Champions League campaign last season, becoming the oldest player in Champions League knockout history as he put in top-notch performances, particularly in Porto’s Round of 16 tie against Arsenal.
The defender has shown incredible longevity for both club and country and continues to perform excellently at the highest level, with the same aggression and intensity that has always been a key feature of his game.
Ahead of Euro 2024, Porto coach Vitor Bruno revealed Pepe will make a decision about his career after the European Championship. Reports suggest that Pepe is yet to decide if he will retire from football after the Euros, as his current Porto contract came to an end on June 30.
Portugal were hoping to go all the way in the tournament, as they looked to give two of their greatest-ever players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe, a fairytale ending to their international careers, in what looks set to be their last European Championships before retirement.
After a crushing defeat to France on penalties, Portugal's modern legends will hope to extend their international careers to the 2026 World Cup, but even if they were to retire from international's before then, the elder statesmen of the Portugal squad have done more than their fair share of hard work for their country.
Comments