Pepe, the 41-year-old defender for Portugal and the oldest player in history to participate in the Euros, has not yet decided if he will retire from international football after the European Championship. He revealed that his "passion" for the game is his secret to longevity.

Will this be his last tournament with the Portuguese national team? "I haven't thought about it yet," Pepe responded during a press conference at the team's camp. As one of the leaders of the Portuguese squad, he has been a starter in both their group stage victories, 2-1 against the Czech Republic and 3-0 against Turkey, and is expected to be in the starting lineup again on Monday against Slovenia.

"I only need to focus on getting into the game soon, which is the most important thing for me. We have a very important match ahead of us, both for the players and our country," he stated when first asked about his future with the national team. He did not reveal whether he would continue beyond Euro 2024 in Germany, after 17 years of service since his debut in 2007, accumulating 139 caps.

"The secret is the passion with which I play football. I feel privileged to do what I love most, with great competitive focus, the love I put into every training session and every match (...). They joke with me because I'm always near the ice machine and the recovery machine. The physiotherapists say I own the machine...," he recounted.

Pepe made his European Championship debut in 2008: "I feel good, privileged to be part of my national team, to defend my colors, and to be part of a great group."