10 Craziest World Cup Red Cards
4. Wayne Rooney (2006)
England were pinning a lot of hopes on young Wayne Rooney back in 2006, but in truth his tournament started poorly and only got worse from there, culminating in one of the most iconic England red cards of all time.
The team had made it to the quarter finals and were going up against Portugal, with the match pitting two of Manchester United’s finest young stars – Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo – up against each other. In the 62nd minute, Rooney was seen stamping between the legs of Ricardo Carvalho. The referee seemed to be reaching for a yellow card, but when Ronaldo started to protest, he ended up issuing Rooney with a red.
England fans watching at home were further incensed when pitch-side cameras captured Ronaldo cheekily winking at the Portugal bench. Back in Manchester, Rooney and Ronaldo had been best buds, but many fans started to wonder if that friendship would last in the wake of such a shocking act.