"Wants to be on top" - Wayne Rooney on how Cristiano Ronaldo's 'selfish' nature pushes him to strive for greatness after FIFA World Cup heroics

× Wayne Rooney has praised his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo after the striker's sensational response to mounting criticism at the FIFA World Cup. The legendary forward silenced his critics, who had been on his neck from Portugal's first game, in the most emphatic way possible. Ad Ronaldo had been on an uncomfortable stretch due to the Selecao's unimpressive 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their opening fixture.

Many labelled the 41-year-old forward selfish for repeatedly missing chances that perhaps suited his more clinical teammates. However, he silenced his doubters with a sensational brace in a thumping 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan. That double made him the first player ever to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments.

It also delighted Wayne Rooney, as the Manchester United legend said on Match of the Day: Ad Trending "He wants to be the best at what he does, and he's always been like that, so, of course, when the other top forwards, attacking players are scoring goals, he wants to be at the top of that list. "As I said, his response here is exactly what you'd expect from him because he's selfish in terms of he wants to be the best, but he is a team player also. Yeah, it's incredible to still watch Messi last night and Ronaldo tonight at their age, it's incredible what they're doing."

Ad Rooney played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford and knows, better than most pundits, about the legend's obsessive desire to dominate scoring charts. Ronaldo was also crowned the oldest player ever to score multiple goals in a FIFA World Cup match. He reached that landmark at the unbelievable age of 41 years and 138 days against Uzbekistan.

How Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have fared at the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far The long-standing rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a spectacular new lease of life in what could be their last FIFA World Cup. Incredible, both legends have now appeared at six straight tournaments, dating back to 2006. Ad Messi, who turned 39 on June 24, has been simply imperious throughout Argentina’s impressive opening fixtures.

The Argentine maestro plundered five goals in two matches, including a breathtaking hat-trick against a stubborn Algeria.Messi’s clinical double against Austria brings his tally in the history of the global tournament to 18 goals. That haul makes the captain the outright all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history.

In stark contrast, Ronaldo has scored twice here to make it 10 in total at World Cups. × Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Nnanna Mba Wayne Rooney has praised his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo after the striker's sensational response to mounting criticism at the FIFA World Cup.

The legendary forward silenced his critics, who had been on his neck from Portugal's first game, in the most emphatic way possible. Ad Ronaldo had been on an uncomfortable stretch due to the Selecao's unimpressive 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their opening fixture. Many labelled the 41-year-old forward selfish for repeatedly missing chances that perhaps suited his more clinical teammates.

However, he silenced his doubters with a sensational brace in a thumping 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan. That double made him the first player ever to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments. It also delighted Wayne Rooney, as the Manchester United legend said on Match of the Day: Ad Trending "He wants to be the best at what he does, and he's always been like that, so, of course, when the other top forwards, attacking players are scoring goals, he wants to be at the top of that list.

"As I said, his response here is exactly what you'd expect from him because he's selfish in terms of he wants to be the best, but he is a team player also. Yeah, it's incredible to still watch Messi last night and Ronaldo tonight at their age, it's incredible what they're doing." Ad Rooney played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford and knows, better than most pundits, about the legend's obsessive desire to dominate scoring charts.

Ronaldo was also crowned the oldest player ever to score multiple goals in a FIFA World Cup match. He reached that landmark at the unbelievable age of 41 years and 138 days against Uzbekistan. How Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have fared at the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far The long-standing rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a spectacular new lease of life in what could be their last FIFA World Cup.

Incredible, both legends have now appeared at six straight tournaments, dating back to 2006. Ad Messi, who turned 39 on June 24, has been simply imperious throughout Argentina’s impressive opening fixtures. The Argentine maestro plundered five goals in two matches, including a breathtaking hat-trick against a stubborn Algeria.

Messi’s clinical double against Austria brings his tally in the history of the global tournament to 18 goals. That haul makes