World football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is 40 today (February 5) and still going strong.

He looks incredible and he still has so much more to offer.

Ronaldo is still doing it for his national side Portugal and his is a name you cannot ignore if you are looking for honours on the biggest stage.

Many of us first saw him as a precocious youngster at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson’s guidance, who saw and nurtured his talent.

Ronaldo has performed at the highest level at some of the biggest clubs. Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) two stints at Manchester United (England), Real Madrid (Spain), Juventus (Italy) and now Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia).

The Portuguese football sensation has scored 923 goals and he may very well get to 1000 in his illustrious career.

He is blessed with phenomenal talent, incredible talent and good looks.

Most footballers at 40 look like old men before their time- big bellies, receding hairlines and craggy-faced. Not Ronaldo – the man looks like a movie star.

There is the perennial question, who is the greatest football this world has seen? Some say Pele, others say Maradona. Then there is Messi and there is a case to be made for George Best.

To Ronaldo, the answer is simple- it is the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo.

In the answer to the question, Ronaldo said: “ I’m the most complete player ever. I’m the best in history. You may compare me to Pele, Messi, Maradona, I understand and respect that. But I am the best player ever. I believe that.

“I’m fast, I’m strong, I score with my head, with the left. No one has ever been more complete than me. If I finish on 925 goals…it doesn’t matter to me at all. I am the best in history. Period. If I reach 1,000 goals, great. If not that’s fine too. Numbers do not lie.”

Here is a man who has tremendous faith in himself and his results prove it. This is not idle talk. The man is a winner.

Ronaldo has won the league with different clubs. He has won the Champions League a number of times, the FA Cup. Impressively, he has bagged the Ballon d’Or five times.

He has fallen out with managers and proven them wrong. Erik ten Hag ran Ronaldo out of Manchester United after he bagged 26 goals in a season. No one has come close since he left and Manchester United are languishing in the bottom half of the table with no striker able to do the business.

Even at 40, he could go there and perform better than the strike force they have now.

Ronaldo doesn’t let football politics get him down, he keeps on performing.

The man is totally dedicated. He is an example for others to follow whatever your career. He leads by example.

Of his old club Manchester United, Ronaldo said: “Since Sir Alex Ferguson left, I saw no evolution in the club. The progress was zero.”

Again, he is right. Manchester United are going backwards.

Since going to Saudi Arabia and promoting the top league there, Ronaldo has become even more wealthy while still being selected to represent his country.  He has scored 81 goals in 89 games for Al-Nassr.

Ronaldo doesn’t intend to stop anytime soon. His gym workout and special diet keep him in tip-top condition.

His former agent Jorge Mendes said of him: “ He is someone who knows nothing of the impossible, someone who makes overcoming, professionalism, motivation and ambition his motto in life. For him, there is no limit that cannot be reached. It was like that for more than two decades and it continues to be like that.

“His ambition to always be better, as he really is, prevents him from falling into a rut. He is never satisfied. He wasn’t satisfied when he was 20, he wasn’t satisfied when he was 30 and he isn’t satisfied now when he is 40.”

What a man! 

Happy birthday, Cristiano Ronaldo. You are the greatest. Keep banging in goals and see you at the next World Cup.