Real Madrid’s Pepe Suffers Bloody Head Injury, Plays on After Stapling Wound Shut (Video, GIF)

Pepe has a reputation as one of soccer’s roughest defenders. It might be time to add “toughest” to his list of qualities.

On Tuesday, the Real Madrid defender suffered a gruesome head injury, from which blood poured all over his face. Yet, he played on after doctors used a stapler to close the wound.

The deep cut over Pepe’s right eye was the result of a first half collision with Copenhagen’s Daniel Braathen. Both players jumped to contest a ball in the air, and Pepe headed the back of Braathen’s head instead of the ball.

Boxers can identify with Pepe’s plight, as blood poured from a wound located just over his right eye. A quick-thinking medical staff was able to stop the bleeding, provided Pepe could withstand some more pain.

That was never in question. He dishes out pain for a living, so it’s only right that he can take some as well. The 30-year-old soon returned to the field and helped Real Madrid ease to a 4-0 win in the UEFA Champions League.

See Pepe suffer the head injury in the video below (warning: video contains bloody images).

See doctors staple Pepe’s wound closed below.

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GIF via USA Today