Luis Figo didn't hesitate when asked to pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldo Nazario after playing with both

Very few players can claim to have shared a pitch with pretty much every great of the modern era. Luis Figo can, though, and he's now offered his thoughts on the debate between Ronaldo Nazario and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Figo, rather controversially, turned out for both Barcelona and Real Madrid during his playing career. While that may have upset fans of the two Spanish clubs, it did give the Portuguese icon the perfect opportunity to rub shoulders with a slew of legendary players.

In fact, he is one of only a small handful of players who was fortunate enough to count both the Brazilian and the Portuguese Ronaldo as a colleague. So, naturally, he's been asked which was the better player.

While Cristiano Ronaldo is widely considered as one of the top two players of his generation, there is no doubt that Ronaldo Nazario was one of the finest forwards of the 1990s and early-2000s.

In a recent interview with Shoot For Love, Figo's experience with the two players was put to the test, as he was asked to pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and R9.

He said: "It is difficult, like when you pick between your father and mother it is difficult. To pick between Cristiano and Ronaldo... maybe I can pick one leg off each?"

Ronaldo Nazario is one of the greatest players in history (Image: Getty)

So, it seems even the best players in the world, someone like Figo who has witnessed firsthand what each of the Ronaldos were capable of, still can't split them.

Cristiano has proven himself to be a machine by still going at 39-years-old, and at his peak was the kind of player who could produce match-winning moments from nowhere.

However, Ronaldo Nazario is indisputably one of the most natural and prolific goalscorers of all time. Indeed, it's hard to imagine many other players you'd rather rely on in a one-on-one scenario when through on goal.

Jose Mourinho did not name Cristiano Ronaldo when selecting his three greatest footballers in history. Image: Getty

One person who certainly could settle this particular argument is R9 himself. The Brazil legend picked out eight of the world's greatest players of all time, and included himself in the list while excluding his namesake, Cristiano.

Perhaps Figo did give the best answer of all, really. A hybrid of the two Ronaldos would be simply unstoppable.