Wayne Rooney gave a big interview to Rio Ferdinand.
According to Lent.az, referring to foreign media, the legend spoke about the eternal rivalry with Ronaldo and Messi, among other things:
"My saying that Messi is better than Ronaldo doesn't mean I don't like Cristiano. People think I hate him, but I love him. I think he is a true genius, what he does is incredible and I love Cristiano. I loved playing with him; I don't think people realize how close we are. He has been the top scorer in Saudi Arabia for the last three years."
Rooney said he admires Messi and enjoys watching him play: "The only reason I rate him higher is that Messi was a little better in terms of the game, in relationships with teammates, etc. But Ronaldo is a killer on the pitch.
But people think that if I put Messi higher, it means that I don't like Cristiano or that I'm somehow trying to put him down.
Messi has his own unique style of play, but Cristiano is a true genius; what he does is incredible. I take my hat off to him; I can't say anything bad about him."