Real Madrid star Pepe has stated that hard work has paid off for Portugal at the European Championships.

Portugal lifted their first ever major international trophy after claiming Euro2016 with a 1-0 victory over hosts France at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday night.

The victory for Portugal represented a bit of a shock as not many had fancied them ahead of the final and following the historic night, defender Pepe revealed that a lot of hard work went into Selecao's eventual triumph.

The Real Madrid star said: "We put blood, sweat and tears on the pitch.

"I said on the eve of this game that we'd leave it all on the pitch for our people, for our nation, and that's what we did. That's what the Portuguese are about: humility, work, overcoming hardship.

"We represented our country as best we could. Regardless of those who doubted us, and the criticism we've had here in France for our performances, we had our goals set out for us and this was the goal.

"The manager is a very intelligent man. He has been able to blend youngsters with the more experienced players. From day one he said the first goal is to qualify for the Euros and the second is to win it. We managed both things.

"This is not down to chance. This comes from hard work. We listened and all pulled in the same direction and now we've written a brilliant page in the book of Portuguese football history. No one will ever forget this victory."