Fans are just finding out Pepe’s real name after the 40 year old Portuguese defender voted in the recent FIFA awards.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the captain who led Portugal to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar but had a fewer game time in the Tournament. The former Portugal head coach, Fernando Santos left the 38 year old star on the bench as Morocco knocked them out in the quarter final to advance into the semi final. That made Morocco the first African country to go beyond the quarter-final stage of the World Cup.
Even though he is still the captain of Portugal, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar did not cast his vote for the FIFA best men player unlike other national team’s captain.
Pepe, then took up the challenge as the former Real Madrid defender stood in Ronaldo’s place to vote in the just concluded FIFA men’s best players.
Fans got to realise that Pepe was just the FC Porto’s defender nickname as his real name is revealed.
Pepe was tasked with carrying out that responsibility, and he chose to cast his vote for Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, and Karim Benzema in that order (first, second, and third).
Fans were more intrigued by the name that appeared on the official FIFA paperwork than they were by the candidates he chose.
FIFA referred to him by his official name rather than by the nickname he is known by in the football community, Pepe.
Kepler Ferreira is Pepe’s official name; Pepe was only a nickname for the defender.
Several football fans, who had only known him by his moniker for so long, were shocked by it.
Someone who noticed Kepler Ferreira on the page tweeted with shock as he wrote “Pepe??” after seeing it.
Another fan tweeted in a statement that reads; “wtf I feel humiliated” when someone else explained it to them.
Pepe has had a long and illustrious career playing football at the highest level, and he is still doing so.
Pepe career stats;
Kepler Laveran de Lima Ferreira known as Pepe was born on the 26th of February, 1983, in Maceio, Brazil.
Pepe started his senior career at the Portuguese club Maritimo between 2001 through 2004.
When the center back started to establish himself as a top-tier defender, he left for Porto for three years.
He made well over 200 appearances for Real Madrid over a decade starting in 2007.
He spent time at Besiktas in recent years before coming back to Porto in 2019.
Pepe won the Euros with Portugal in 2016 and the Nations League in 2019. He also won numerous league championships and three Champions League trophies at the club level.
He participated in 334 games for Real Madrid and won three La Liga championships, three UEFA Champions League crowns, and two Copa del Rey crowns.
He has also won three Taça de Portugal championships and four Primeira Liga championships with Porto.
Since making his debut in 2007, Pepe has amassed 133 caps for the Portugal national team. He participated in four FIFA World Cups and many UEFA European Championships.
He was a member of the Euro 2016 champion team and also made it to the semifinals of the Euro 2012 tournament. The Euro 2016 championship game’s man of the match was Pepe.
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