Former England striker Wayne Rooney has said he bears no grudge against Cristiano Ronaldo despite repeatedly stating his preference for Lionel Messi.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, Rooney emphasized that his admiration for Messi’s style of play does not diminish his respect for Ronaldo.
“I absolutely love Messi, love watching him play and that was the only reason — because I think Messi had a little bit more in terms of how he played, taking players on and whatever,” Rooney explained.
He described Ronaldo as a “killer” in front of goal but stressed that choosing Messi as the better player has often been misunderstood.
“People think because I’ve said Messi is better than Ronaldo, I don’t like him or speak down on him,” he added.
Rooney and Ronaldo were teammates at Manchester United between 2004 and 2009, winning three Premier League titles and a Champions League together. The Englishman also featured in United’s defeats to Messi’s Barcelona in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals.