Jorge Jesus says Neymar doesn’t like football like CR7

Coach Jorge Jesus compared Neymar with Cristiano Ronaldo to explain what he thinks of the Brazilian. They worked together at Al-Hilal, in Saudi Arabia, for a short period of time until the striker suffered a serious injury to his left knee, underwent surgery and has since been recovering in Brazil.

“Life beyond football, I think that unlike (Cristiano) Ronaldo, Ronaldo has more passion for football and knows the priority. Neymar has more passion for other things, things that his private life offers him”, said Jorge Jesus, in interview with the Portuguese press shortly before boarding to return to Al-Hilal.

Despite the controversial comparison, the coach, who was very successful at Flamengo, praised Neymar. “As a player he is fabulous, as a man he surprised me positively in everything. He is an unusual player, outstanding,” he said. “He IS an easy-going, sweet, understanding player,” he added.

Jorge Jesus arrived at Al-Hilal at the beginning of July. Neymar tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on October 17th, playing for the Brazilian national team, against Uruguay, in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Before getting injured, the striker played five games for the Saudi team, with two assists and a goal.

Without the Brazilian, Al-Hilal recovered in the Saudi Championship and currently leads with a seven-point advantage over Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team. There are 17 wins and two draws. After a vacation period, the tournament will resume. The first match will be a friendly, on January 29th, against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.