It is one of the ancient battles of sport, the struggle between talent and the ravages of time. And it's being fought out as the Brazilian Championship reaches a thrilling finale.
With eight rounds to go - and at least four clubs still in contention - one of the big questions is this: Can he really do it again? Is Ronaldo capable of staging yet another extraordinary comeback?
The previous one came when he joined Corinthians of Sao Paulo, the most popular team in South America's biggest city. Surely now he had suffered one knee injury too many. He was all washed up, a bloated figure living on his reputation. But then he proved us all wrong once again by spearheading Corinthians to last year's Brazilian Cup.
But that was supposed to be the aperitif. The main course was to come this year.
Winning the cup qualified Corinthians for the Copa Libertadores, South America's equivalent of the Champions League. All their local rivals had won it but Corinthians had yet to reach a final. Putting that right in 2010, the club's centenary year, was the dream of every Corinthians fan.
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Brazil will expect another commanding performance from Thiago Silva when they take on Ukraine at Derby's Pride Park in an international friendly on Monday.
The 26-year-old Milan defender was in fine form in last Thursday's 3-0 win over Iran - especially important as his centre-back partner David Luiz had a poor game, obliging Thiago Silva to show off his excellent sense of cover.
In the World Cup, Thiago Silva was a reserve to the old firm of Juan and Lucio. Just three months later, he is the rock on which Brazil's defence is based, highlighting the speed of the generational change taking place under new coach Mano Menezes.
And offering a clear contrast with Argentina.
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I'm flying to back to Rio and feeling a bit jealous of people who live in the Midlands - not a sentence you're likely to come across every day.
The reason? Next Monday, Brazil come to Derby to face Ukraine, giving fans at Pride Park the chance to have a close look at a fascinating moment in the development of the five-times world champions.
This will be Brazil's third full international since losing to eventual runners-up the Netherlands in the World Cup quarter-finals some three months ago. The second is coming up this Thursday against Iran. The first was a 2-0 win away to the USA in August - an impressive result against experienced opposition.
But more important than the scoreline was the way in which the victory against the States was achieved. The debut game of coach Mano Menezes raised hopes Brazil might get back to playing the type of football that has made them so popular all over the world.
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A glorious history, a rich culture, a production line of exciting players... South American football is endlessly fascinating. I cover the continent from my base in Rio.
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