The illustrious football careers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney began as teenagers together at Manchester United, but their relationship has since become strained. Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are synonymous with the golden era of Manchester United.
The duo’s talents flourished simultaneously, with Ronaldo signing for MU from Sporting CP in 2003 and Rooney arriving at Old Trafford a year later from Everton. If there were any doubts about whether they could fulfill their potential, this was evidence.
Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or six times at United, while Rooney became the club’s all-time leading goal scorer. This pair clinched every trophy at MU under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, including the Premier League and the Champions League.
They displayed unparalleled synergy throughout their five seasons together at Old Trafford. Their partnership at the “Theatre of Dreams” ended when Ronaldo left MU to join Real Madrid in 2009.
Their friendship, like many others, also faced challenges during that time. The World Cup 2006 quarter-final between England and Portugal erupted in controversy when 20-year-old Rooney stamped on defender Ricardo Carvalho.
In an attempt to gain an advantage with the score tied at 0-0, Ronaldo confronted the referee, resulting in Rooney’s red card dismissal. This sparked Rooney’s fury as he pushed Ronaldo forward. Meanwhile, Ronaldo “stirred up the entire country of England” by winking at the Portuguese bench when Rooney was sent off.
Media speculation continued as to whether their altercation spilled into the MU dressing room before the 2006-2007 season. However, the duo found a way to diffuse tension in the tunnel immediately after the match, bringing them closer together.
Rooney even told the Sunday Times in April 2020 that he would do the same in Ronaldo’s case: “Then I went and saw Ronaldo in the tunnel. I felt it was important to speak to Ronaldo when it was all fresh and had to do it face to face. I said to Ronaldo, ‘I don’t have a problem with you. Good luck in the tournament. I’ll see you in a few weeks, and let’s try to win the championship’.”
This proved true as the two MU stars together won their first Premier League title in the following season, edging out Chelsea by six points. Their remaining time at Old Trafford was joyful as they witnessed two more consecutive Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph.
Rooney and Ronaldo played together 205 times at MU, with Ronaldo assisting Rooney in scoring 14 goals, and Rooney assisting Ronaldo in scoring 11 goals. Their relationship remained peaceful for a while until Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford for the second time in September 2021.
This move led to their sons, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr and Kai Rooney, both playing for the U-12 Red Devils. But while the two youngsters were having fun on the pitch and easily finding the opponent’s net, the animosity between the two legends continued to grow.
Their relationship deteriorated to the point of no return when Rooney criticized Ronaldo’s actions in his second season as MU’s icon. Rooney disliked Ronaldo’s refusal to come onto the field while his team lost to Tottenham in October 2022, calling him a “disruptive influence” at MU.
Wayne Rooney stated: “What Cristiano Ronaldo has done since the start of the season is unacceptable for Manchester United.” Ronaldo revealed he was “surprised” by Rooney’s comments. Not one to take criticism lightly, Ronaldo retaliated in a shocking interview with Piers Morgan. Ronaldo seemed to imply that Rooney was jealous of his still flourishing career and handsome appearance.
Ronaldo said in an interview with Piers Morgan leading to the early termination of his contract with MU: “That was a year ago or six months ago. We were at my house, Wayne Rooney was picking up the kids here and invited my son to his house to play soccer”.
Al Nassr captain Ronaldo continued: “I don’t know why Wayne Rooney criticized me so badly, maybe because he has ended his career and I am still playing at a high level.” Ronaldo went on further to say: “I’m not going to say I look better than Wayne Rooney, but that’s the truth”.
Ronaldo emphasized that he no longer considers Rooney or Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville as friends due to their negative comments about him. Ronaldo said: “They are not my friends, they are colleagues. We play together, they won’t come here, we won’t have dinner together”.
As the coach of DC United, Wayne Rooney was asked about Ronaldo’s response by the media. Rooney said: “There is probably no footballer on this planet who is not jealous of Cristiano Ronaldo. The career he has, the titles he has won, the money he has earned, his six-pack body, his physique. I think every footballer, maybe Lionel Messi, is jealous of Cristiano Ronaldo”.
The future of football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney and their relationship remains to be seen, but it would be regrettable if they don’t mend things later on.
