Already the oldest player in the Champions League, veteran Porto defender Pepe became the oldest scorer in Champions League history when he scored his side’s second goal in a 2-0 win over 10-man Antwerp.
Pepe, 40 years and 254 days old, scored in stoppage time after Brazilian striker Evanilson had put the hosts ahead with a goal in the first half.
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Pepe tops the list of oldest scorers in the Champions League, surpassing Ronaldo among the top ten
Porto took control of the match after Antwerp midfielder Jurgen Eckelenkamp was sent off seven minutes into the second half.
Pepe said: “Today is a special day for me. It is my mother’s birthday and I told her that I would do everything in my power to score a goal.”
“This feeling is incredible, because anyone who reaches this age and plays at this level – representing a big club like Porto – knows that it takes a lot of work, a lot of sacrifices, and a huge passion for this sport. I will try to enjoy it as much as possible.”
Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
The previous record was held by Roma’s Francesco Totti, who scored in Europe’s top club competition at the age of 38 years and 59 days in 2014.
With this result, Porto is equal on nine points with leaders Barcelona, and the two teams are three points ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk, which surprised the Catalan team 1-0 earlier on Tuesday.
Antwerp’s fourth successive defeat means they have no chance of qualifying for the next round of the Champions League, even with two matches remaining.
