Iconic Moments in Football No.97
Cristiano Ronaldo became the hate figure of England fans everywhere with a single wink on Saturday 1st July 2006.
The winger was playing for Portugal against England in a World Cup Quarter Final in 2006, when he rushed over to speak to referee Horacio Elizondo who had stopped the game after his Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney had stamped on Ricardo Carvalho.
Ronaldo was about twenty yards away from the incident and sprinted over to the referee who was now stood next to Rooney. He pushed past Rooney who would shortly face punishment for the incident.
The England striker was angry that Ronaldo had decided to get involved so shoved him away from the referee just as several players from both sides had run over to join in a melee.
Moments later, Elizondo blew his whistle and gestured for Rooney to join him for a discussion. The Argentine official reached into his back pocket and brandished a red card, much to the dismay of the England players.
As Rooney left the field, Ronaldo glanced over to the Portugal bench and winked at them. The gesture was caught on camera and immediately caused people to question its meaning. Did he mean to get Rooney sent off? After all, Rooney was one of England’s best players so it made sense to get him dismissed.
The game ended goalless before Portugal won on penalties. They would lose 1-0 to France in the semi-finals.
About Author
