Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his deep appreciation and respect for his friend Pepe after the latter’s retirement from football, posting a touching message on social media. Ronaldo emphasized that it is the beautiful game that has lost a legendary Real Madrid defender.
In his post on X, Ronaldo wrote, “There are no words to express how much you mean to me, my friend.”
The Portuguese captain continued, “We’ve won everything possible on the pitch, but the greatest achievement is the friendship and respect I have for you. You’re one of a kind, brother. Thank you so much.”
Ronaldo and Pepe shared a dressing room for nine years at Real Madrid, and their relationship dates back to 2006 when the defender first joined the Portuguese national team.
Ronaldo and Pepe played a combined 28,097 minutes together, and they won numerous titles together, most notably the Champions League with Real Madrid and the European Championship and UEFA Nations League with Portugal.
On Thursday, Pepe announced his retirement from football at the age of 41 after his contract with Porto ended, turning down several offers from clubs both inside and outside Europe.
