Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney's broken relationship - 'He's not my friend!'

17 May 2024 , 13:07

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Wayne Rooney [L] and Cristiano Ronaldo [R] enjoyed incredible years together at Man Utd (Image: PA)

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are two names synonymous with the last golden era of Manchester United.

The pair of generational talents burst onto the scene around the same time, with Ronaldo signing from Sporting CP in 2003 and Rooney arriving at Carrington a year later from Everton. If there was any doubt about whether they fulfilled their respective potentials, the former went on to win a Ballon d’Or during his six years at United while Rooney became the club’s record goalscorer.

They showed unrivalled chemistry during their five seasons together at Old Trafford, dominating on the field and combining off it to regularly prank Sir Alex Ferguson and their more serious team-mates. The party would come to an end when Ronaldo, destined for an even bigger stage, joined Real Madrid in 2009.

Their friendship, like any other, endured rough patches during that time too. The 2006 World Cup quarter-final clash between England and Portugal erupted when a 20-year-old Rooney stamped on defender Ricardo Carvalho’s crotch.

In an effort to gain an advantage with the game poised at 0-0, Ronaldo raced to protest to the referee, successfully helping to get his club team-mate sent off. That left Rooney in a rage as he pushed the Portuguese forward, who then rattled the entirety of England by winking at his bench.

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Speculation followed in the media over whether their spat would spill into the United dressing room ahead of the upcoming 2006/07 season. Yet the duo actually managed to clear the air in the tunnel immediately after the game, bringing them closer together.

Rooney even told the Sunday Times in April 2020 that he would have done the same in Ronaldo’s shoes, saying: "I went over to him afterwards in the tunnel. I felt it was important to speak to him while it was still fresh and to do it face to face.

“I said 'I’ve no issues with you. Enjoy your tournament and good luck. I’ll see you in a few weeks — and let’s go try and win the league'."

Ronaldo [L] successfully tried to get Rooney sent off at the 2006 World Cup (AFP)

That proved true as United’s two star players raced to win their first ever Premier League title the following season, finishing ahead of second-placed Chelsea by six points. The remainder of their time together at Old Trafford was a pleasure to watch as they went on to clinch two more successive titles and a Champions League winners’ medal.

Rooney and Ronaldo would feature 205 times together, with Ronaldo setting up his team-mate for 14 goals, while the dazzling trickster was assisted 11 times himself by the all-action Englishman. Their paths did not cross for some time until Ronaldo returned to Manchester for his second stint in September 2021.

The move resulted in their sons, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr and Kai Rooney, both representing the Red Devils’ U12s side. But while the two teenagers were revelling being on the field together and finding the net with ease, animosity was growing behind the scenes between the two legends.

Their relationship soured beyond repair when Rooney, then retired, criticised Ronaldo’s actions during the Portuguese icon’s second season at United. Rooney was not a fan of the way Ronaldo refused to come onto the pitch while his side were losing a game against Tottenham in October 2022, calling him an “unwelcome distraction” at United.

Ronaldo suggested Rooney was jealous of him in a 2022 interview with Piers Morgan (@PiersUncensored/Twitter)

The recently-sacked Birmingham City head coach said: “The things he has done from the start of the season, it is not acceptable for Manchester United.”

Ronaldo revealed he was “surprised” by the comments. Not one to take any blows to his pride lightly, he in turn took a thinly-veiled swipe in his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan, appearing to hint that Rooney was jealous of his still flourishing career and his looks.

“It was one year ago, or six months ago,” Ronaldo said in the interview which led to his Red Devils contract being ripped up. “We’re here in my house, he picked up his kids here and he invited (son) Cristiano to go to his house to play football.”

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The Al-Nassr captain continued: “I don’t know why he criticises me so badly…probably because he finished his career and I’m still playing at a high level." He then took another dig, adding: “I’m not going to say that I’m looking better than him. Which is true.”

Ronaldo insisted that he no longer classed Rooney or Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville as friends due to their persistent slights, saying: “They are not my friends, they are colleagues. We played together, they’re not coming here, we’re not having dinner together.”

Rooney, asked about the comments while still manager of DC United, played down the feud but did little to improve relations by making a joke about the situation. "There's probably not a football player on the planet that isn't jealous of Cristiano," the 38-year-old said.

"The career he's had, the trophies he's won, the money he's earned, the six-pack, his body. I think every player, bar probably Lionel Messi, is jealous of Cristiano." What the future holds for the two legends of football and their relationship remains to be seen, but it would be a shame for them to not patch things up down the line.

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Kasra Moradi