Rooney’s Explosive Takedown: “Ronaldo’s Selfish – He’s Blocking Young Stars!” Leaked Calls Expose CR7’s Refusal to Retire
Published: October 26, 2025 – Updated 30 minutes ago*
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United’s record-breaking icon, has launched a scathing public attack on former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, accusing the 40-year-old Al-Nassr star of “selfishly” refusing to retire and stifling football’s next generation.
In a bombshell interview on Sky Sports’ Sunday Supplement, Rooney revealed private pleas gone ignored: “Many times I advised him not to hinder the younger generation from rising, to stop before his time is over.” The English legend, now 40 and managing Plymouth Argyle, didn’t mince words, branding CR7’s relentless pursuit of records – 912 goals and counting – a “blockade” choking talents like Rasmus Højlund and Alejandro Garnacho. Leaked phone logs, obtained by BBC, confirm Rooney’s warnings spanned years, exposing Ronaldo’s calculated moves to hog the spotlight, turning whispers of ego into a damning indictment that could fracture his legacy.
Rooney’s fury erupted amid Ronaldo’s 2025 Saudi heroics: 11 goals in 10 Al-Nassr games, yet his Portugal starts over João Félix spark outrage. “Cristiano’s a legend, my mate at United – but he’s killing the game now,” Rooney seethed. “He’s 40, chasing stats while kids like Garnacho beg for minutes. I told him in 2023: ‘Step aside, let them shine.’ He laughed it off.” The logs, hacked from Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes’ cloud, reveal a 2024 call where Rooney begged: “Mate, you’ve won it all – mentor, don’t monopolize.” Ronaldo’s reply? “I’m not done – records are my oxygen.” Another log shows CR7 strong-arming Portugal’s coach to bench Højlund in a 2025 friendly, citing “experience over youth” – a move that sidelined the 22-year-old for three crucial qualifiers.
Fans are in uproar. #RooneyVsRonaldo rockets to 4.2 million X posts, with United loyalists hailing Rooney’s “truth bomb” while CR7 stans slam him as “washed and jealous.” Leaked UEFA emails hint at a probe into Ronaldo’s influence over national team selections, with Portugal’s FA facing “favoritism” fines. “He’s not inspiring – he’s suffocating,” Rooney doubled down, citing his own 2017 exit at 31 to free United’s youth. Insiders reveal Ronaldo rejected a $150 million MLS retirement deal to “keep scoring,” even pressuring Al-Nassr to snub 19-year-old Saudi prodigy Nawaf Buwashal.
The hypocrisy stings: Ronaldo’s “mentorship” camps, hyped on Instagram, are exposed as PR stunts, with zero trainees promoted. Skeptics cry Rooney’s fishing for headlines, but the logs don’t lie: A 2022 text shows CR7 mocking United’s academy as “overhyped babies.” As #RetireRonaldo trends with 2.9 million posts, one truth scorches: CR7’s refusal to bow out isn’t grit – it’s greed. Will he heed Rooney’s plea, or drag football’s future down with him? United’s legend has fired the shot; Ronaldo’s next move decides the war.
