England's post-Kane era finally looks far more rosy

It's too easy for Mayra Ramirez! Clinical Chelsea are looking ominous

How it feels to beat Lionel Messi

Santos, Doak & the best EPL loanees of the season so far

Saudi Arabia or MLS beckons for Pogba after Juve release

Szoboszlai in tears as Netherlands vs Hungary is halted

Kroos opens door to Real Madrid return 

Why Ronaldo has been released from the Portugal squad

'Please leave him alone!' - Deschamps sends out Mbappe plea

Rashford branded a 'clown' after attending New York Knicks game

Ronaldo stunner the cherry on top for five-star Portugal 

Ronaldo sets clear timeline for retirement

Ex-Man Utd ace says Mainoo shouldn't be in Amorim's starting XI

<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="match-schedule">{"type":"match-schedule","data":{"channelId":"92686d1e-5985-40e1-80f3-6f5a54f55b39","competitionId":"34pl8szyvrbwcmfkuocjm3r6t"}}</script><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Pepe retires from football age 41</li><li>Starred for Portugal and Real Madrid</li><li>Ends glittering career after 23 years</li></ul>

A legend bows out! Real Madrid and Portugal star Pepe confirms his retirement at the age of 41 with emotional 30-minute video

UEFA Nations League A

Croatia

Portugal

LaLiga

Leganes

Real Madrid

<p>After 23 years as a professional footballer, Pepe has announced his retirement from the sport. The centre-back racked up 742 appearances during his club career and was capped 141 times by Portugal, too. Now, he will prepare for life after football.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>Pepe posted a snippet of a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWRr7fl8vQI" target="_blank">lengthy YouTube video</a> on his Instagram page and captioned it: "Obrigado (Thank you)."</p><p>On his career, he added: "I want to thank God for giving me the wisdom to be able to continue my journey. I cannot fail to thank all the presidents who believed in me and believed in me. All the employees of all the clubs I have been to, they are the soul and essence of the national team. All my teammates and coaches, who helped me grow and compete every day. All the fans, who are the soul of football. To Jorge Mendes, to Gestifute, to my mother, who was essential in my journey by letting me fly towards my dream, which was to be a professional footballer. To all my friends and family, especially my wife, who was my home in my absence. My children for believing in me, for being a fundamental support in my life, for supporting me when I left home to play. They were the support I needed to be able to go with a clear conscience. I would like to thank everyone, give them my thanks and a hug of gratitude. Thank you all very much."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-aa3UiKpj5/" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
  <div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-aa3UiKpj5/" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">
      <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
        <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
        <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
          <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
          <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
      <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
          <g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
            <g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000">
              <g>
                <path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path>
              </g>
            </g>
          </g>
        </svg></div>
      <div style="padding-top: 8px;">
        <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div>
      </div>
      <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
      <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
        <div>
          <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
          <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
          <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
        </div>
        <div style="margin-left: 8px;">
          <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
          <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div>
        </div>
        <div style="margin-left: auto;">
          <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
          <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
          <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
        <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
        <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
      </div>
    </a>
  </div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

WHAT PEPE SAID

<p>Pepe will go down as one of the greatest defenders of his generation. The longevity of his career is truly remarkable and over the decades he has won the European Championship, Champions League, La Liga, Primeira Liga and more. Pepe made a name for himself at Porto initially and he finished his career at the Portuguese club, too.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Pepe, whose last game in football was a <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/portugal-player-ratings-vs-france-euro-2024-cristiano-ronaldo-show-joao-felix/blt98b06e4aeb8b96fd" target="_blank">Euro 2024 quarter-final defeat to France</a> last month, will now prepare for what comes next. It remains to be seen if he will return to football in a coaching capacity, as a pundit, or something else.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

A legend bows out! Real Madrid and Portugal star Pepe confirms his retirement at the age of 41 with emotional 30-minute video | Goal.com

Portugal legend and former Real Madrid star Pepe has brought the curtain down on his career at the age of 41.