Wayne Rooney has never been one to hold back, and his latest comments on Cristiano Ronaldo cut deeper than most. The former Manchester United teammates won three Premier League titles and the Champions League together between 2004 and 2009, yet Rooney did not mince words addressing Ronaldo’s dramatic exit from Portugal’s training camp. Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, which airs through ‘The United Stand’, Rooney described the entire episode as “wrong in every sense,” one of the sharpest public rebukes yet of his former strike partner’s recent behavior.
Rooney’s Blistering Assessment of Ronaldo’s Exit
Ronaldo left Portugal’s camp during the international break after going unused as a substitute in a Nations League match against Norway, with reports indicating he felt coach Jorge Jesus had broken a promise to give him 30 minutes of playing time. He later posted a lengthy statement on Instagram apologizing to his teammates while criticizing Jesus directly. The timing struck Rooney as especially hard to swallow. “My thoughts on Ronaldo is just: ‘Why?’ It was the same day Messi was retiring from Argentina and for him to come out of the Portugal squad in that way, then put that statement out… It’s just wrong in every sense,” Rooney said. He went further, arguing Ronaldo had undermined his manager, his teammates and the Portuguese Football Federation all at once: “To undermine the Portuguese FA, everything about it was just wrong.”
Rooney reserved special criticism for the part of Ronaldo’s statement where he listed points he felt Jesus had agreed to address in a press conference. “You can’t tell a manager what he’s got to say,” Rooney added.
Not Handling the End Well
Rooney framed the episode as part of a larger struggle. Every player, he noted, eventually reaches the moment when international football ends, and in his view, Ronaldo simply isn’t handling that reality. “It comes to every player. You have to finish international football and unfortunately he’s not dealing with it well. It’s uncomfortable to see,” Rooney said. The comments carry extra weight given the two men’s history, having shared a dressing room during the peak years of both careers, and given that Ronaldo himself reportedly recommended Jesus for the Portugal job after this summer’s World Cup, having previously won trophies with him at Al-Nassr. There’s also a pointed footnote to the whole saga: Portugal won both matches they played after Ronaldo left camp.
A Federation Already Taking Action
This isn’t just a war of words. The Portuguese Football Federation has provisionally suspended Ronaldo and opened a formal disciplinary case over the walkout Ronaldo has acknowledged the decision to leave could carry consequences and has said he remains available to play for Portugal if called up again. Whether he gets that chance, or a farewell appearance, remains to be seen. What’s clear is that his former United strike partner believes this chapter has already damaged the image of a player who spent two decades at the absolute summit of the game.
Rooney Ronaldo Comments: ‘Wrong in Every Sense’ Over Portugal Exit