Pepe has proven that a 40+ Brazilian IV can work very well at Porto and can also be recommended for NM.
At the same time, Pepe had less competition at Portugal than Thiago did at Brazil.
Even if it goes well, I don’t know if it’s enough for the NM.
If he doesn’t feel like he has to start and there’s enough space on the bench to just be there, maybe it could happen. With his experience in the NM he would also be a good influence in the dressing room.
At the 2024 European Championships, Pepe, at the age of 40, was still one of the best central defenders in the tournament. Won impressive sprint duels against fast Frenchmen and in Porto he was a top performer until the last game of his career.
Like Pepe, I have seen very few, an absolute force of nature.
Thiago Silva has been physically deteriorating significantly for years.
Kiwior, Bednarek are having a pretty good season, Thiago will probably be planned as a supplementary player here for now and then we’ll see how he does. But I have doubts as to whether it is enough for regular players.