The cult of Cristiano Ronaldo at 40

Men's football megastar Cristiano Ronaldo turns 40 today but shows no signs of slowing down.

His age – practically over the hill for a professional footballer – has done nothing to "temper his competitive zeal" or quell his "unrelenting drive" to go down in history as the best player the sport has ever seen, said The Athletic.

Despite playing outside Europe at Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo, the highest-paid footballer in the world, is "quite possibly the most famous person in the world", too. His star status is so supreme, that when he does finally hang up his boots, he will surely find ways "not just to sustain his fame but to expand it".

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'Self-made success'

Ronaldo's "performance level has dipped dramatically over the past few years" but it is a testament to his "professionalism and relentless pursuit of perfection" that he is still scoring goals in the twilight of a 23-year career, said Goal. There's even talk of him featuring in Portugal's World Cup squad next year. If he does, it'll be his sixth World Cup – something no other footballer has achieved.

It's this ambition that "still makes him tick", said the BBC. As well as the World Cup, he could aim for 1,000 career goals (he needs 77 more), 250 caps for Portugal (he needs 33 more) or even "sharing the pitch" with his 14-year-old son, who currently plays for Al-Nassr's youth teams.

But, for all of his epic footballing achievements, it is Ronaldo's global level of fame that is a truly "new development for the sport", said Barney Ronay in The Guardian. His "basic appeal is obvious": he is a "self-made success, an underdog story, a motivational tale". But he is also "perfect for the internet, too", exemplifying its "obsessions" with his "muscles, beauty, success, money". Ronaldo is unique in being able to "straddle two intersecting planes: pure sport and pure product".

'Building a business empire'

It's Ronaldo the 'product' that he's been busy investing in most recently, "building a business empire" that includes "ventures in a wide range of industries" from media to fashion and hospitality, said the BBC. In the past two years, he has "doubled the number of organisations in which he holds a majority share".

And then there's his power as an influencer. Ronaldo can easily access the hugest of audiences. His YouTube channel – the fastest ever to reach 1 million – now has 73.5 million subscribers. His polished output, and his recent collaboration with Mr Beast "marks a shift in how legacy icons engage with digital audiences", Louise Johnson, chief executive of sports and entertainment marketing agency Fuse, told The Athletic.

Ronaldo the footballer will clearly go on as long as he can but, when the end comes, it is unlikely Ronaldo the global megastar will be going away. Such is his fame, said The Athletic, "he cannot retire, not really".