For Rooney, that selfish edge is what made Ronaldo unique. While he prided himself on being a team player, he acknowledged that Ronaldo’s relentless pursuit of personal glory was part of what elevated him into the all-time great conversation. It wasn’t a criticism without context. Ronaldo’s hunger to dominate individual accolades helped him climb to five Ballon d’Or titles, endless scoring records, and the reputation of being one of the most ruthless finishers in football history.
Speaking in conversation with Rio Ferdinand, Rooney confessed that he often had to adapt his own game to fit around Ronaldo’s. Asked if he toned down aspects of his play to allow Ronaldo to shine, Rooney admitted that he did, but insisted his reasons were always team-first.
“Not once did I think I needed to sacrifice. Yeah, it did look like that and felt like that at times, but I wanted to win, I wanted to win the Premier League, the Champions,” he said. “Cristiano Ronaldo has got something in his brain which I don’t think anyone has got. He’s got this mindset and mentality, which is way beyond anything I’ve seen in football.”
He then drew a sharp contrast between their approaches: “My mindset and mentality are not to that level, but it’s at a level where I want to win. I never cared about Ballons d’Or or any individual trophies. For me, that’s nothing, couldn’t care less. I wanted to win with you (Rio), with teammates. Of course, Cristiano wanted to win all that with the team, but he had that selfish mentality where he wanted everything. I didn’t have that.”
Any lingering doubts about their relationship were put to rest in 2022, when Ronaldo made it brutally clear that he and Rooney were never genuine friends. Asked by Piers Morgan if he remained close to Rooney or Gary Neville, Ronaldo delivered a cold dismissal.
“They are not my friends, they are colleagues,” he said. “We play together, they’re not coming, we’re not ever having dinner together.”
The cracks between the two were first exposed on the international stage in 2006. In a fiery World Cup quarter-final between England and Portugal, Ronaldo was accused of playing a part in Rooney’s red card. The infamous wink from the winger after Rooney’s dismissal became one of the defining images of the tournament.
Since hanging up his boots, Rooney has dabbled in coaching but endured tough spells in charge of Derby, DC United, Birmingham City, and Plymouth. For now, he has stepped back from management. Ronaldo, meanwhile, remains in the spotlight as Al-Nassr’s talisman in Saudi Arabia. At 40, the Portuguese icon is still scoring goals and preparing for another blockbuster, a top-of-the-table Pro League showdown with rivals Al-Ittihad this Friday night.
