TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand didn’t hesitate to include one of his former Manchester United teammates in his six-man list for the ‘perfect footballer.’
Rio Ferdinand spent the large majority of his Manchester United career under Sir Alex Ferguson and was a key defensive figure for the legendary Scotsman.
Signed from Leeds United in a £30m deal in 2002 – a British record deal at the time – Ferdinand excelled at the Red Devils and made 455 appearances for the club.
During his time at Old Trafford, the 46-year-old United legend lifted six Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and two League Cups.
Ferdinand, who is widely regarded as one of the best defenders of all time, struck up a remarkable partnership with Nemanja Vidic in the heart of the United defence.
The footballer-turned-pundit spent one season at Old Trafford after former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired before Ferdinand left the club in 2014.
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Speaking to The Daily Mail, Rio Ferdinand was tasked with building the perfect footballer and the TNT Sports pundit picked former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo shot to superstardom during his first spell at United and Ferdinand witnessed first-hand the 39-year-old forward’s impact in the Premier League.
Sir Alex Ferguson landed Ronaldo from Sporting CP in 2003 and the United legend lifted three Premier Leagues, a Champions League, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
Ronaldo’s first run at United saw the former Juventus and Real Madrid superstar lift the first of his five Ballon d’Or awards in his legendary playing career.
Ferdinand took Ronaldo for his right foot in his perfect footballer build, but the United legend surprisingly snubbed Barcelona icon Lionel Messi from his list.
The former United and England defender opted for Argentina icon Diego Maradona ahead of World Cup winner Lionel Messi for his choice for the left foot.
Posted below is Ferdinand’s six-man pick for his perfect footballer.
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Despite his huge admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Ferdinand once snubbed the two legendary players on a previous occasion.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated in 2023, Ferdinand was asked about the GOATs across all sports and the United legend didn’t pick a single footballer among his picks.
“Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Michael Jordan, Roger Federer,” he said at the time.

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