“Can’t lie he’s been solid”, “Dropped a masterclass” - Fans salute Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal teammate for impressive display in 3-0 Euros win
Portugal fans were left in awe following the performance of not Cristiano Ronaldo, but veteran defender Pepe in their 3-0 win over Turkiye. The Selecao booked their place in the Round of 16 of Euro 2024 following their commanding display on Saturday (June 22).
Roberto Martinez's Portugal breezed through qualifying and made it to the Euros as one of the favorites due to the undeniable talent in their ranks. They have the likes of Ronaldo and some of Europe's finest young players in every position, such that many forgot about veteran defender Pepe.
Still going strong at 41, the former Real Madrid man was named in the squad for the tournament after another impressive season with FC Porto. Martinez favored the vastly experienced centre-back over younger, up-and-coming stars like Antonio Silva and Goncalo Inacio, and handed him a start in their opener against the Czech Republic.
Following a satisfactory showing against the Czechs, the veteran defender was called upon once more for the game against Turkiye. There, he delivered a performance for the ages, earning the praise of the Portugal fans on X.
"Can't lie he's been solid," a fan wrote.
"41 years old and dropped a masterclass at EURO. That’s Pepe for you," another user chimed in.
A fan praised Pepe for performing better than teammate Ruben Dias.
"41 years old Pepe carrying “the best CB itw” is insane😭"
Another fan was left wondering how Pepe performed how he did at his age.
"How is Pepe 41 years of age dropping a monsterclass in a Euro competition 😂😂😂"
A fan hailed him for his masterclass for Portugal.
"Encore une masterclass de Pepe à 41 ans : #TURPOR"
Another fan compared his performances to that of teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who is spoken about more often.
"You will be talking about the fact that Ronaldo performs well at age 39 then you see Pepe who will be 50 years soon dropping a masterclass in defense for Portugal. Pepe is insane"
Another fan hailed him as a gladiator after his display.
"They can never make me hate you Pepe. Gladiator. 💪"
A fan remarked that the defender may still be playing come Euro 2032 at 49 years of age.
"Pepe may be at Euro 2032"
Pepe is the oldest player (41 years and 113 days old) to ever feature in a game in the European Championship, having broken the record (Gábor Király was 40 years and 86 days) when he appeared against the Czech Republic. He is in a straight shootout with Cristiano Ronaldo for the record of the competition's oldest goalscorer.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal into Euro 2024 KOs
Cristiano Ronaldo has successfully led Portugal to the Round of 16 of Euro 2024, with one game to spare in Group F. The 2016 champions were convincing 3-0 winners over Turkiye in their meeting in Dortmund to reach the next round, having won their first game.
Bernardo Silva opened the scoring (21') for Roberto Martinez's side before Samet Akaydin put the ball into his own net in the 28th minute. Portugal closed out the win in the second half (56') when Cristiano Ronaldo set up Bruno Fernandes to score their third of the game.