Alex Ovechkin meets up with soccer legend Wayne Rooney.

Alex Ovechkin bumps into soccer legend Wayne Rooney in Dubai as Caps captain joins family for All-Star break

Modified Feb 20, 2024 13:33 GMT

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was recently spotted soaking up some sun in Dubai with Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney.

The Capitals are on vacation for nine days. Captain Alex Ovechkin flew to Dubai with his wife, Natsya, and their two children, Sergei and Ilya, to enjoy the period away from a busy hockey schedule.

Image Credit: Nastasiya Ovechkina/Instagram

Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney, a Manchester United legend and an iconic name in the world of soccer, was also spotted in the "City of Gold." As Ovi's family was enjoying their time on the beach, the Capitals captain ran in to meet the English soccer icon.

Wayne Rooney shared a photo with Ovechkin on Instagram, along with a caption:

"Great to catch up with @nhl legend and good friend from DC, @aleksanderovechkinofficial"

This was not the first meeting between the two prominent athletes. After his stint with Everton in the English Premier League, Rooney moved to the United States and played for the MLS club D.C. United from 2018 to 2019.

The soccer icon also served as the coach of the club for a season. During his time with the MLS club, Rooney met Ovechkin for the first time during a Capitals game against the New Jersey Devils at Capital Arena on Nov. 30, 2018.

Wayne Rooney was sacked as the coach of Birmingham City on Jan. 15, after just two wins in 15 games. Notably, this was the third team in Rooney's managerial career.

How has Alex Ovechkin fared for the Washington Capitals this season?

Ovechkin is in his 19th season with the Capitals and has had a slow start to the campaign. He has notched up 31 points, through nine goals and 22 assists in 44 games, and is projected to finish the season with 54 points (16 goals and 38 assists).

With 831 career goals, Ovechkin needs 65 more to eclipse Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer. Meanwhile, with 51 points (22-18-7), the Caps are seventh in the Metro Division.

Alex Ovechkin and the Caps return to action when they host the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, Feb. 6.