'longevity Defines Him' - How Long Will Ronaldo Go On?

Fifa World Cup qualifier: Republic of Ireland v Portugal

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Thursday, 13 November Kick-off: 19:45 GMT

Coverage: Live matter commentary connected BBC Sport website

In July 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo arrived successful Dublin arsenic nan astir talked astir footballer successful nan world.

In nan 16 years that person followed, and moreover arsenic he starts to talk openly of retirement, it is singular really small has changed.

Then, nan Portuguese superstar was successful municipality to make his Real Madrid debut successful nan somewhat incongruous surrounds of Shamrock Rovers' Tallaght Stadium.

On Thursday, immoderate 8 miles crossed nan metropolis astatine Aviva Stadium, he will look to guarantee different important milestone by securing qualification for nan sixth World Cup of his profession successful North America adjacent summer, which he has now confirmed will beryllium his last.

That front successful nan celebrated achromatic garment came months aft he was awarded nan first of his 5 Ballons d'Or.

While it has been 8 years since he picked up his astir recent, nan passing of nan torch connected nan transportation from himself and Lionel Messi - who betwixt them won nan grant 12 times successful 13 years - to nan likes of Ousmane Dembele, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal has not been mirrored disconnected it.

As evidenced by an attention-grabbing interview pinch Piers Morgan past week, 9 months aft his 40th day location is still nary subordinate successful nan world who generates headlines for illustration nan erstwhile Manchester United great.

Ronaldo is not unsocial successful continuing astatine a precocious level agelong aft what was erstwhile considered status age.

LeBron James, who came into nan NBA arsenic a teenager, has stretched his profession successful nan convention to nan constituent that nan 40-year-old is playing a 2nd play pinch his boy arsenic a Los Angeles Lakers team-mate.

Only past week, aft claiming nan 101st title of his career, tennis awesome Novak Djokovic signalled his volition to take sides his Olympic title astatine Los Angeles 2028, by which shape he will beryllium 41.

In nan sentiment of Portuguese shot journalist and writer Miguel L Pereira, possibly nan quality is really cardinal nan magnitude of Ronaldo's playing profession is becoming to his story.

"I deliberation it defines him, defines his personality," he said.

"I deliberation he was ever very concerned really he would beryllium remembered, really group successful 15, 20 years will talk astir him.

"I deliberation from nan mid-2010s, he realised that he wouldn't triumph nan affectional comparison pinch Messi truthful he decided to do that based connected trophies, based connected goals scored, based connected things that were countable. I deliberation that's why he keeps connected going."

Already nan starring goalscorer successful men's world shot and nan Champions League, and 1 of only six players to play astatine 5 World Cups, what could beryllium Ronaldo's adjacent targets?

There is nary agreed upon database to found men's football's all-time apical scorer, but Ronaldo is already complete 950 profession goals and antecedently told erstwhile team-mate Rio Ferdinand, external reaching 1,000 was nan "most important" remaining target for his career.

Such has been Ronaldo's longevity, he has played world shot pinch 3 generations of team-mates.

When making his world debut against Kazakhstan successful August 2003, he was captained by Fernando Couto, a subordinate calved erstwhile England were nan holders of nan World Cup and earlier nan break-up of The Beatles.

After winning Euro 2016 alongside a cardinal group of those astir his ain age, for this week's qualifiers against nan Republic of Ireland and Hungary, he skippers a squad containing 3 players not moreover calved astatine nan clip of his first cap.

Twenty-two years successful nan aforesaid broadside has required a reinvention, 1 wherever nan days of powering successful from wide positions is simply a point of nan past.

Instead he is near arsenic an orthodox number nine, an expanding anomaly successful nan modern crippled that presents thing of a tactical conundrum for his head Roberto Martinez and team-mates.

It was telling that erstwhile erstwhile Manchester United team-mate John O'Shea, now adjunct coach for Republic of Ireland, was asked connected Monday really to extremity Ronaldo astatine nan Aviva Stadium, he said of nan request to clear crosses and take sides nan box.

"He doesn't tally much, he's much of a guardant erstwhile strikers that only play successful nan container are almost extinct correct now," said Pereira.

"He's nan benignant of subordinate that doesn't fresh pinch nan patterns that you spot particularly successful apical sides today. He wouldn't play astatine PSG aliases Bayern Munich, he wouldn't beryllium capable to.

"Some of those [younger] players who person grown utilized to playing for teams for illustration PSG aliases Chelsea aliases Barcelona aliases Real Madrid person been utilized to different rhythm, different measurement of connecting pinch their forwards tin consciousness someway constricted by it because they cannot do nan aforesaid things that they do astatine their clubs."

For some, Portugal's Euro 2024 exit connected penalties astatine nan hands of France, which came pinch Goncalo Ramos and nan precocious Diogo Jota near connected nan bench, felt a earthy end-point yet location person been 13 world goals since.

Ramos' lawsuit to switch his legendary skipper successful nan nationalist broadside is not helped by his minutes astatine Paris St-Germain.

When it comes to whether nan existent loop of Ronaldo is simply a thief aliases hindrance, Pereira concludes "there are 2 sides to each story" - but location remains nary uncertainty complete who is nan cardinal character.

With a sixth World Cup connected nan horizon, rather really agelong this last section will past remains unclear.