Cristiano Ronaldo walked into a pre-match press conference ahead of Portugal's World Cup last-16 clash with Spain on Monday and did what he has always done — silenced the doubters with sheer force of personality.

The 41-year-old, confirming once again that this is his final World Cup, met questions about his form and future with characteristic defiance. "You have been trying to kill me for the past 23 years, but you must have seen that is not worth it," he told reporters. "When I choose [to stop], not when you choose."

He added: "Whatever happens tomorrow, Cristiano Ronaldo will leave with a clear conscience — not 100% but 1,000% — because in life and football I gave everything."

The case for and against starting Ronaldo

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez faces a genuine dilemma. Ronaldo has scored three times at this tournament — including a penalty against Croatia in the last 32 — becoming the first player in history to score at six different World Cups. Yet his broader statistics paint a more complicated picture.

He has taken 15 shots, nearly twice as many as any team-mate, but has yet to create a single chance. In three of Portugal's four matches he has registered fewer than 25 touches — the lowest figures of his entire World Cup career. His average of 4.4 runs in behind the defence per match is well below his numbers at the past two World Cups.

When Martinez withdrew Ronaldo against Croatia after he equalised from the spot, substitute Goncalo Ramos came off the bench to send Portugal through in a dramatic finish. It was a moment that intensified calls for Ramos to start against Spain in Texas.

Portugal's two biggest wins of the current cycle — a 9-0 over Luxembourg and a 9-1 defeat of Armenia — both came without Ronaldo in the side, fuelling the debate further.

Martinez, however, has stood firm. "His leadership and that work in the final third is still one of the best in the world," the coach said when asked to justify his selection policy. Since taking charge in 2023, Martinez has started Ronaldo in the majority of Portugal's matches, with most absences down to injury or suspension.

A nation's love for its greatest icon

Statistics, though, struggle to capture what Ronaldo means to Portugal and to football fans around the world. Scenes in Toronto before the Croatia match illustrated the point vividly — fans briefly brought a major highway to a standstill hoping to catch a glimpse of the superstar from Madeira.

"People talk about Portugal because of him," supporter Lucilia told BBC Sport. "He doesn't forget where he's from. Ronaldo means more to Portugal than any politician."

Fellow fan Joao echoed the sentiment: "On the world stage we didn't really have anyone after Eusebio. Ronaldo came in and made us dream."

With 146 international goals — the all-time record — and a career spanning 23 years at the highest level, Ronaldo acknowledged his own evolution with rare candour: "I am not the player I used to be." Yet seven months from his 42nd birthday, he remains the most talked-about player at the tournament.

Whether Martinez hands him a starting berth against Spain or rewards Ramos for his match-winning heroics, Monday's tie at Dallas Stadium (20:00 BST) could mark the final chapter of one of football's most extraordinary careers.