Ronaldo fell out with his manager at the Mundiale after he was dropped for Portugal's knockout games, with Goncalo Ramos taking his place.
Santos was sacked after Portugal were eliminated at the quarterfinal stage by Morocco and Ronaldo has since won his place back under the management of Roberto Martinez.
Santos has now opened up on his relationship with the five-time Ballon D'or winner.
He told A Bola (via Globo): "We haven't spoken since I came from Qatar.
"On the day of the game, in the morning, when I went to explain that he wasn't going to play and why he wasn't playing, he misunderstood. From my side the relationship is the same, and he continues to be like a son to me. The day the phone rings he knows I'm always here".
"He is the best in the world," Santos insisted. "But he had a moment in his career that was very difficult. In the second half of 2022 he has six months that are terrible. That moment really affected him. He had no rhythm. It was a strategic issue."
Ronaldo is still scoring goals at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia while Santos was recently sacked as manager of Poland.
Portugal won EURO 2016 with Santos as manager and Ronaldo as captain.
