Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly 'raging' after comments made by his former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney, with Olivier Giroud warning Rooney that he will be receiving a text message from the Portugal star. The exchange occurred during BBC's World Cup coverage, where Rooney suggested Ronaldo would be frustrated that Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Lionel Messi all scored in their opening matches.
Rooney's Assessment Sparks Reaction
Rooney, speaking in the BBC studio, said: "He'll have been raging. In a good way." This prompted Giroud, the 2018 World Cup winner, to interject with a warning: "You're going to receive a text, Wayne. Be careful." Rooney continued: "That's how he's pushed himself, that's his mentality. Everything is a challenge to him. Over the years, him and Messi have pushed each other to reach these levels. He'll want to win firstly for Portugal to win the World Cup, but he'll want to be the top goalscorer."
Ronaldo's World Cup Ambitions
Ronaldo, at 41 years old, became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match when he faced DR Congo. He is chasing the one trophy missing from his collection and needs one more goal to equal Eusebio's record for Portugal. However, he is expected to play a reduced role, with Giroud noting: "I think he has it to play an hour, obviously, he doesn't have the same legs as before. His capacity to be efficient, his presence and aura in the box is massive and his team-mates are looking for him."
Giroud's Light-Hearted Remarks
Giroud also joked about his own goal tally, saying: "There's a stat that says he didn't score in open play in the last two international tournaments," before anchor Mark Chapman noted Ronaldo's 15 goals in 14 qualifiers. Giroud laughed: "He scored 143 goals, what about me with my 57?"
Ronaldo's determination remains undimmed, with Rooney adding: "He knows where he can be effective. He's not going to be effective now coming deep and getting the ball and trying to dribble past players. Getting in between the goal is where he will be effective and he's having more chances from doing that. That's a skill in itself."
