Pepe: Cristiano Ronaldo is our flag bearer

Veteran defender Pepe expressed gratitude to teammate Cristiano Ronaldo on Sunday as Portugal's squad returned to Lisbon following their World Cup elimination.

The comments came barely 24 hours after Portugal's 1-0 quarterfinal defeat to Morocco in Doha, a match that could have marked the end of Ronaldo's international career.

"He is our Portuguese flag bearer that reaches all parts of the world," said Pepe, who broke his arm during Saturday's game at Al-Thumama stadium but continued to play on.

"He gave his contribution when called upon. And I have to thank him and all my teammates who tried to do their best. They worked as hard as they could to be available to the coach - and when that is the case, everything is easier."

Ronaldo endured a frustrating time in Qatar, scoring just once in five outings and starting the last two games - against Switzerland and Morocco - on the bench.

He was widely criticized for shouting obscenities toward the Portugal dugout after being substituted in the final group match against South Korea on December 2.

Portugal manager Fernando Santos later admitted that he was unhappy with Ronaldo's reaction but denied there was any lingering tension with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Earlier on Sunday, Ronaldo posted a message on social media in which he said that his World Cup dream had "ended", without revealing whether he would keep playing at the international level.