Rooney scored again in United's comfortable 3-0 win over Celtic at Old Trafford to take his tally to nine in seven games for club and country. And Ferguson is confident Rooney and Ronaldo can once again steer the Red Devils towards glory next spring.
"Wayne is capable of getting to that level," said Ferguson. "Both him and Cristiano were teenagers when they came to us but their progress has been fantastic. "The only reason we are not talking about Wayne at the same level as Cristiano is the fact one of them scored 42 goals last season. That is why Cristiano should win the Balon D'Or.
"If Wayne can get to that sort of level, he is there." Rooney has always viewed himself as more of a team man, although he may be learning a bit of Dimitar Berbatov's selfishness.
Berbatov could never be accused of being the most energetic of players but his economy of movement belies impressive ability. And two more goals took his European tally to four.
"Dimitar produced some fantastic pieces of football," said Ferguson. "The players are starting to understand what type of player he is a bit more now. "I always feel he produces passes that mean something. Three or four of them were absolutely superb and overall he has five goals for us already, so he is making a terrific contribution."