Santos boss Pedro Caixinha provides response when asked to compare Neymar Jr and Cristiano Ronaldo

Santos boss Pedro Caixinha refused to compare Neymar Jr with Cristiano Ronaldo when asked by the press. The Portuguese tactician sidestepped the attempt to draw him into a conversation that would see him compare the two iconic players out of his respect for both men.

In a recent discussion with the press, the Santos manager was asked for comparisons between the two legendary forwards. He told noticiasao minuto:

"I have a very close relationship with him, very good, with great empathy. I am very happy to work with this figure of planetary level, but also so humble, so easy to deal with. I felt the same desire to win, but it is unfair on my part, even more so for them, to compare. They are all bright, with incredible quality.I don't like to compare. Neymar is Neymar."

"I know Neymar a lot more than I knew Cristiano Ronaldo at the beginning of the job, and I never met Messi. All different, players from another stratosphere. We are very happy with one of them, Neymar, who is our cause," Caixinha added.

The Brazilian star and his Portuguese counterpart both played in Saudi Arabia until this January when the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star terminated his contract with Al-Hilal to rejoin his boyhood club, Santos.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr's footballing legacies

Thanks to their exploits on the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr are two of the most recognizable footballers and people on the planet. The pair have never played on the same team but often faced each other in some of the most thrilling matches in the sport's history.

Ronaldo began his career with Sporting Lisbon before securing moves to Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, United again, and Al-Nassr. The Portuguese superstar is the most prolific goalscorer in professional football, with over 925 goals.

Neymar Jr began his career with his boyhood club, Santos, before securing moves to Barcelona, PSG, and Al-Hilal. He returned to Santos in January this year. His move to PSG was the most expensive transfer in football history, costing the Parisians a reported €222 million.

Regarding personal accolades, Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Ors, four European Golden Boots, four UEFA Best Player awards, 21 top goalscorer awards, and one Puskas award. His Brazilian counterpart is similarly accomplished, having won one Puskas award and four top goalscorer awards and outscoring the legendary Pele to become his nation's record goalscorer.

The pair have faced each other eight times in their careers, with the Portuguese star winning three, the Brazilian winning four, and one game ending in a draw.