Rio Ferdinand sends message to Pepe after ex-Real Madrid defender announces retirement

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has sent a message to Pepe after the former Real Madrid defender announced his retirement from professional football. The 41-year-old announced his decision to hang up his boots on Thursday (August 8) after an illustrious 23-year career.

Rio Ferdinand took to Instagram and commented on the former Portuguese icon's retirement post. The comment read:

"Legend ❤️"

Rio Ferdinand's comment on Pepe's retirement post on Instagram. (Image Credit: Instagram official_pepe)

Early in February 2024, Rio Ferdinand opened up on his private chat with the former defender in the aftermath of Porto's 1-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of Round 16 of the UEFA Champions League. In a conversation with Laura Woods and Martin Keown as part of the TNT Sports panel, Ferdinand revealed his conversation with the oldest player to play in the competition then, saying (via SPORTbible):

"They were marshalled by that man in there. I think he’s 41 on Monday. It’s ridiculous to think how he’s getting his body through. That’s what I was saying to him, 'How are you doing this?!', and he was like: 'I’m still strong!' He still feels confident."

The legendary center-back started his senior career with Marítimo's B team in 2001 and then joined the first team a season later. In 2004, the Corinthians Alagoano graduate signed for Porto and remained there until 2007.

Pepe signed for Real Madrid in 2007, and during his 10-year tenure there, the center-back recorded 15 goals and 20 assists in 334 appearances. After his time at Los Blancos, the former Portuguese icon joined Turkish club Beşiktaş for the 2017-18 season. He returned to Porto in January 2019 and remained there until 2024.

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Cristiano Ronaldo sends message to Pepe after his former Real Madrid teammate announced retirement

After Pepe announced his decision to retire, his former Real Madrid and Portugal national teammate Cristiano Ronaldo sent a heartwarming message for the legendary defender. The Portuguese duo shared the pitch for Los Blancos for eight years from 2009 to 2017 during their respective tenures at Santiago Bernabeu. They also played together for 17 years for the Selecao.

Ronaldo shared pictures of himself and the former defender on the pitch, along with the caption:

"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 so much."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe have won two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey, one Supercopa de España, three UEFA Champions League titles, one UEFA Super Cup, and two FIFA Club World Cups with Real Madrid. They have won the 2016 UEFA European Championship and the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League with Portugal. Overall, the legendary defender has appeared for 878 games, winning 34 trophies.