Cristiano Ronaldo's talent is beyond doubt, but it appears there are key factors off the pitch supporting his status on it.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is one of the most decorated footballers in history and argued to be the greatest ever.
Ronaldo has been consistently world-class at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, as well as the Portugal national team.
He is his country's leading cap earner and goalscorer on 214 and 132 respectively, with his quality on the ball still integral to their success - although some would argue that it's perhaps time to move on from their long-time talisman.
There are other factors that help the 39-year-old to maintain such an important presence for Portugal, still, despite his age.
Ronaldo started in all of their Euro 2024 fixtures this summer before a quarter-final defeat on penalties against France.
It may have surprised some to see how much the Al Nassr star was replied upon given his age, but head coach Roberto Martinez was pleased with his use of the forward.
Speaking to Portuguese news outlet Zerozero via the BBC, Martinez said: "It's very difficult to be Ronaldo. It makes sense to ask about his age.
"But we monitored his performance [at Euro 2024] through statistics, which show he was well used. I have confidential information to back it up."
These numbers are yet to be revealed, so much so that they have been described as 'top secret' by Portuguese newspaper Expresso.
Should Ronaldo feature at the 2026 World Cup, he will become to fourth oldest player to ever play in the prestigious tournament.
However, his age does not appear to be of concern to everyone, as DAZN and TSF radio pundit Tomas da Cunha said to the BBC: "The whole debate is not about his age, but much more than that.
"Pepe was 41 and yet his performances were largely praised in the summer. Ronaldo's, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired in the last World Cup and Euros.
"Fernando Santos [Portugal's former coach] tried to end his untouchable status, but with Martinez that hasn't happened."
Ronaldo's iconic standing in football history makes him one of the most marketable footballers and sportsmen in history.
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This comes as a huge boost to the Portuguese Football Federation, with president Fernando Gomes highlighting this three years ago.
He told RTP: "Ronaldo has an impact on our finances. That's undeniable when you consider our broadcast rights and kit deals."
Ronaldo is highly likely to have contributed to his country's financial gain since making his senior team debut in 2003.
The Portuguese Federation ended a 12th consecutive year in profit and with a revenue of €121.6million [£101.7million].
This is a record total for Portugal and has seen them surpass the €120million mark for the first time ever.
Ronaldo is therefore an almost omnipotent figure for his nation and will likely ensure they qualify for the next World Cup, where he could bow out of his illustrious career.
However, Nations League football is on the agenda for now as Portugal take on Poland on Saturday evening.
They will then face Scotland, with Ronaldo given two opportunities to extend his incredible total career goal tally beyond 905.
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