Real Madrid's talisman has transformed himself from a fleet-footed winger into a devastating "number 9".

Gone are the blazing runs against hapless defenders. So too the myriad of step-overs and long-distance howitzer shots. The inevitable march of time has taken its toll on Cristiano Ronaldo. At 32-years-young he is no longer the fleet-footed winger we've come to know. By no means however, is he in decline.

Ronaldo has remained at the pinnacle of the sport by transforming himself into arguably the most dangerous center forward in the world. On the team sheet you'll still find him listed on the left flank, but his game now takes place inside the penalty area.

Murmurs of Ronaldo's decline have popped up around the soccer world for several years now. Injuries have hampered his physical abilities (by his freakish standards, mind you), often leaving him a sluggish figure at the end campaigns. Pundits even began anointing Real Madrid as Gareth Bale's team at the beginning of each of the past three seasons.

Ronaldo has always answered back; he's led Madrid to two Champions League titles and Portugal to a European Championship, while picking up back-to-back world player of the year trophies. Still it was clear, he was no longer the same player. The man that used to strike fear into defenders hearts, simply was not beating anyone off the dribble anymore. His clinical finishing skills and intelligent off the ball runs (currently sitting at an absurd 400 goals in 392 games for Madrid) made the transition to center forward seem like a natural progression. Standing in the way though was his affinity of playing on the wing.

This season, putting ego aside, a full transition to center forward has enabled Ronaldo to answer fresh questions of decline in a fashion fit for a king. He has scored eight goals in Madrid's last three Champions League games. This includes five against German giants Bayern Munich and most recently a hat-trick against crosstown rival Atlético Madrid. The latter looks likely to place "Los Blancos" in their third final in four years.

Aiding in his resurgence is a new found level of maturity. While previously demanding 90 minutes every single match, recognizing his body's decline, Ronaldo now accepts sitting games for rest. Further, while still prone to preening like a model or throwing the occasional tantrum, much of what has drawn criticism for selfishness has been eliminated from his game. While the criticisms always rang petty, his body language as a teammate has been much improved.

Ronaldo has built his career on sheer will. While obviously possessing incredible skill, it's his unparalleled drive that has put him on an other-worldly level above all those not named Messi. (By the way, it's a useless debate, guys; they're equals.) At an age where according to all rational reasoning he should be in the process of withering away, CR7 has willed himself into a position from which he can continue his reign of dominance for years to come.