Sports
Rooney: I don’t ‘hate’ Ronaldo; on par with Messi
Wayne Rooney has said “I don’t hate” Cristiano Ronaldo and described his former Manchester United team-mate as a “genius” after admitting he can’t separate the Portugal forward from Lionel Messi in the debate over who is the better player.
Rooney and Ronaldo played together at United for five years between 2004 and 2009, helping Sir Alex Ferguson’s team to three Premier League titles and a Champions League during that period.
The two players famously clashed during the 2006 World Cup, when Ronaldo was accused of influencing Rooney’s red card for stamping on Portugal teammate Ricardo Carvalho during a quarterfinal tie that was eventually won on penalties by the Portuguese.
But Rooney and Ronaldo formed a devastating goalscoring partnership at United and the former England captain, speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, said that he “loves” the Al Nassr forward rather than hates him.
“People think I hate him [Ronaldo],” Rooney said.
“I love him. I think he’s an absolute genius and what he’s doing is incredible.
“I love Cristiano and playing with him. I don’t think people realise actually how close me and him were.
“I think just because I’ve said that I think Messi is better than Ronaldo, people think I don’t like Cristiano.
“I absolutely love Messi, love watching him play and that was the only reason because I think Messi had a little bit more in terms of how he played and taking players on and whatever.
“Ronaldo’s a killer and people think because I’ve said Messi is better than Ronaldo, I don’t like him or speak down on him.”
– Rooney: Alcohol abuse nearly killed me, my wife saved my life
– From Liverpool to Wrexham, are U.S. owners taking over English football?
– Tottenham’s Frank: Would love Kane return but don’t expect it
Having played alongside Ronaldo and against Messi during the Argentina captain’s peak years with Barcelona — Rooney’s United lost two Champions League finals against Messi’s Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 — the 39-year-old said it is impossible to favour one player over the other.
“This person might prefer Messi or Ronaldo, but no, I don’t think you can argue with any of them two,” Rooney said. “But then I think people think, ‘Oh, Wayne said Messi’s better than Ronaldo.’
“I get asked it all the time. I’m like ‘come on.’ The two of the best players ever, well, they are the two, in my opinion, the two best players to have played the game.
“And I just like the little flair about Messi and that’s it.
“Ronaldo? Cristiano is an absolute genius on what he’s doing. He’s just turned 40. What he’s doing is incredible and I take my hat off to him.
“I couldn’t speak a bad word about him.”
Sports
The biggest sporting event in Milan on Saturday wasn’t the Olympics
With a global sporting spectacle going on nearby, locals in Milan flooded San Siro to witness a riveting Derby d’Italia between Inter Milan and Juventus.
Source link
Sports
Jamaica unveil snazzy kits ahead of World Cup playoffs
We’re four months away from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but if they manage to qualify, Jamaica might have already sewn up the competition for the snazziest kits with their new home and away strips unveiled Friday.
Both ensembles have been designed in collaboration with the Bob Marley Foundation and as such are positively drenched in the vivid red, green and gold colors that have become synonymous with the legendary reggae star and Rastafarian culture.
The home shirt has a yellow-gold base overlaid with a weave pattern that makes it look like the crocheted garments and Rasta headwear Marley wore in the 1970s. There are also horizontal bands in black, red and green that span the shirt and feature a pattern intended to resemble vinyl records.
The away shirt is arguably even livelier, with the Jamaican national colors once again used to create a black alternative design that pays homage to the rocksteady rhythm of the island’s music.
The dark base is covered in line-drawn patterns inspired by soundwaves, vinyl records and even the reels of old cassette tapes. The Reggae Boyz/Girlz tag on the collar is also inspired by the font used by Marley’s record label, Tuff Gong. Added to that, the use of the classic trefoil logo in gold just caps everything off nicely.
Marley was known to love soccer and regularly played in matches against fellow musicians and even professional players, notably several members of Brazil‘s famous teams of the 70s. As such, there is a tag attached to the lower hem of both 2026 jerseys that bears a portrait of the icon alongside his well-known quote, “Football is freedom.”
All that’s left now is for Jamaica to actually qualify for their first World Cup since 1998. The Reggae Boyz finished second behind surprise package Curaçao in Concacaf Group B, meaning that two rounds of interconfederation playoffs in March still stand between them and a place at this summer’s tournament.
Sports
2026 Olympics: Top moments from USA-Denmark men’s hockey
After a commanding 5-1 win over Latvia, the United States men’s hockey team was back in action for Game 2 of the preliminary round in the 2026 Olympics.
Saturday’s game was against Denmark, which lost 3-1 to Germany in its first game. The United States won, 6-3.
The U.S. now sits atop Group C, with six points. The top team from each group gets a bye into the quarterfinal round of the tournament, which begins Wednesday.
Center Brock Nelson led the U.S. in scoring after one game, with two goals, while forwards Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk and defenseman Quinn Hughes all had two assists. Forwards Auston Matthews, Tage Thompson and Brady Tkachuk were the other goal scorers in the opening contest.
More: Men’s hockey megapreview | Lapsed fan’s guide | Player rankings
-
Entertainment1 week agoHow a factory error in China created a viral “crying horse” Lunar New Year trend
-
Business5 days agoAye Finance IPO Day 2: GMP Remains Zero; Apply Or Not? Check Price, GMP, Financials, Recommendations
-
Tech1 week agoNew York Is the Latest State to Consider a Data Center Pause
-
Fashion5 days agoComment: Tariffs, capacity and timing reshape sourcing decisions
-
Tech1 week agoNordProtect Makes ID Theft Protection a Little Easier—if You Trust That It Works
-
Tech1 week agoPrivate LTE/5G networks reached 6,500 deployments in 2025 | Computer Weekly
-
Business1 week agoStock market today: Here are the top gainers and losers on NSE, BSE on February 6 – check list – The Times of India
-
Business1 week agoMandelson’s lobbying firm cuts all ties with disgraced peer amid Epstein fallout
