Fernandes and Ronaldo's awkward handshake was just a joke - Joao Mario

An awkward handshake between Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes was the result of a joke between the Portugal and Manchester United teammates, Portugal midfielder Joao Mario said on Tuesday.

The cold interaction between the pair on Monday was caught on camera and went viral on social media, sparking talk of a broken relationship following Ronaldo's explosive interview with TalkTV in which he said he felt "betrayed" by United.

The video shows Fernandes touching Ronaldo's arm as he walked past him in the changing room, prompting an offer of a handshake which was eventually accepted, but only briefly, with little eye contact between the two.

"I was there and saw everything, it was a funny moment that was misinterpreted on the outside," a laughing Joao Mario told a news conference