Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney’s former teammate, and Lionel Messi are often regarded as the two finest footballers to ever grace the sport, boasting a combined 13 Ballon d’Or titles between them. ..Continue Reading
Rooney shared the pitch with Ronaldo during their time at Manchester United from 2004 to 2009, playing 205 games together before the Portuguese forward moved to Real Madrid.
Despite their on-field success, their relationship wasn’t without its challenges.
In the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals, an incident between the two led to Rooney receiving a red card during the match between England and Portugal, though he later revealed they quickly reconciled after the game.
“I went over to him afterwards in the tunnel,” Rooney told The Times in 2020. “I felt it was important to speak to him while it was still fresh and to do it face to face.
“He gave me a look as if to say sorry, but by then, I had my United head on.”
“In the dressing room, we were always really close,” Rooney added. “It was always the two of us doing pranks on the manager or other players. And what had happened brought us closer together on the pitch.”
Although Messi never played alongside Rooney, the two faced off three times on the pitch. The Argentinian emerged victorious twice, defeating Rooney’s side in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals, while their 2008 Champions League semi-final ended in a draw.
So, who does Rooney regard as the greatest of all time?
In May 2024, during an appearance on The Overlap, in partnership with Sky Bet, Rooney praised both players as “incredible.”
“I understand that people can say Messi, people can say Ronaldo – they are both incredible, probably the best two players to ever play the game,” said Rooney.
Rooney gave an updated take on the GOAT debate when playing a game of ‘winner stays on’ via Prime Video.
When asked “Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?” he answered “Lionel Messi”.
“For me, Messi has just got that little bit more flair, which I like in a player, so that’s the reason,” he told the Overlap when explaining why he prefers Messi.
