“Years go by, but goals always remain same” – Ronaldo heartfelt message for Pepe

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has taken to his official Twitter page to post an emotional message for teammate Pepe.

Both men played key roles in helping their nation secure qualification to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year. Portugal beat North Macedonia 2-0 in the playoff final on Tuesday to advance to their sixth straight FIFA World Cup, thanks to a Bruno Fernades brace.

Ronaldo provided the assist for Fernandes’ first goal. Meanwhile, Pepe helped the Selecao keep a clean sheet against the team that shocked reigning European champions Italy in the playoff semis in Palermo last wek.

Ronaldo has now taken to social media to praise the Porto defender’s contribution. The 37-year-old tweeted a picture of the two men together in their national team colours along with the message (translated from Portuguese):

“The years go by, but the goals always remain the same’ together with a Portugal flag and flexed bicep emoji.
It will be the Selecao’s eighth appearance at the quadrennial competition and their captain Ronaldo’s fifth and likely last campaign.

Earlier, Ronaldo hit the woodwork in the 3-1 playoff semi-final win over Turkey last week. Pepe missed that game, having tested positive to COVID-19 but was back in time for the final.