"We will continue together" - Pepe responds to Cristiano Ronaldo's heartfelt social media tribute

Veteran defender Pepe has responded to Cristiano Ronaldo's heartfelt Instagram message following the news of the former's retirement. The Portuguese duo share a close relationship and took to the field together several times for Real Madrid and Portugal.

The 41-year-old enjoyed one of the most successful careers in the history of the sport, claiming three UEFA Champions Leagues, two FIFA Club World Cups, three La Liga wins and four Portuguese league wins. He was also part of the Selecao team that claimed the UEFA Nations League and Euro 2016 crown, the first pieces of silverware in the Iberian nation's history.

Following the announcement of the defender's retirement, Cristiano Ronaldo, who played alongside him for eight years at Real Madrid, took to Instagram to say:

"There are not enough words to express how much you mean to me, friend. 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 unique, my brother. Thank you for so much."

The defender replied to his former club and national teammate, saying:

"We will continue together."

Pepe calls time on an impressive club career that saw him feature 737 times, score 42 goals and providing 36 assists for FC Porto, Real Madrid, Besiktas, and Maritimo throughout a 23-year career. He also played 141 times for his country, bagging eight goals and assisting four.

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What Pepe said about Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024

Retired defender Pepe believes that former Portugal international teammate Cristiano Ronaldo lives for goals and is still doing very well at his age. The legendary striker is 39 years old but continues to feature for the national team and plays for Al-Nassr out in Saudi Arabia.

The defender shared the locker room with Ronaldo for many years at both Real Madrid and the Portugal national team and both featured at this summer's Europen Championships. While the team managed to make it through to the quarterfinals, the legendary striker failed to find the back of the net. However, Pepe defended him during the competition, telling reporters at a press conference:

"Cristiano lives for goals, that's a fact. But have you seen his availability on the pitch to help the national team? It's incredible. He's the player with the most minutes in our team, at 39 years old. He's doing very well. He'll do very well I'm certain he will give us a lot of joy."

With Pepe calling time on his football career at 41 years old, it will be interesting to see how long 39-year-old Ronaldo can can continue playing.