Mikael Silvestre reveals how the Manchester United dressing room reacted after Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney returned following their clash during the 2006 World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney forged a formidable partnership as two young attacking players at Manchester United.
Despite having incredible chemistry on the pitch, though, Ronaldo and Rooney have not always seen eye-to-eye.
The pair clashed during the 2006 World Cup, when Ronaldo advocated Rooney’s dismissal. The cameras picked up on how Ronaldo winked at the Portuguese bench as the referee dished out a red card for Rooney.
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Mikael Silvestre reflects on the Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney clash in 2006
Rooney’s red card led to backlash from the English press and fans, but it was directed at Ronaldo.
The Sun even printed a front page with Ronaldo’s face on a dartboard, but Sir Alex Ferguson had created such a competitive environment at United that the feud didn’t creep into the dressing room.
Speaking to United In Focus on behalf of Grosvenor Sport, former United defender Mikael Silvestre explains what it was like being a player in the dressing room at the time.
“It was a dressing room that was extremely competitive during my entire time there with different generations of players. It was very competitive with competitive players so when we were together, we played as one, but when we were facing each other for our national teams, there was no friendship anymore.
“I wasn’t surprised to see this type of behaviour, but then, as soon as we were under the same roof again, there was no difference. It was about fighting for the badge and making sure United as successful as possible.
“So Ronaldo and Rooney came back and started the season like nothing happened. It was easy. Nice and professional.”
Thankfully, the 2026 World Cup hasn’t had any controversies for Michael Carrick to deal with, but he will need to pick up Kobbie Mainoo, who Thomas Tuchel overlooked for the entire tournament.
- ⚡️ NEWS IN BRIEF
- Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney clashed at the 2006 World Cup
- Mikael Silvestre provides insight into what it was like for the Manchester United dressing room
- Silvestre hailed the professionalism of Ronaldo and Rooney
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney’s clash didn’t stop Man Utd from winning
When Ronaldo and Rooney returned to Old Trafford after the 2006 World Cup, the drama was dealt with, and the team pushed on.
United won the Premier League in the 2006/07 season and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
The Reds also reached the FA Cup final.
Ronaldo and Rooney both scored 23 goals each across all competitions.
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