Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand snubbed Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi from his all-time top four ‘GOAT’ athletes.
Messi and Ronaldo dominated the world stage for over a decade and both legendary footballers have frequently been placed in the GOAT conversation for football.
Brazil icon Pele and Argentina legend Diego Maradona are among the names who feature alongside Messi and Ronaldo in the best player of all time debate.
Ferdinand has often praised Messi and Ronaldo for their respective impact in football, with the ex-United defender playing alongside the latter during his time at Old Trafford.
However, neither Messi nor Ronaldo made Ferdinand’s picks for his four GOAT athletes in any sport, with the TNT Sports pundit completely snubbing anyone from football.
Ferdinand on his ‘four GOATs’ in sports
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Ferdinand was asked to name his four GOAT athletes and picked two figures from boxing, one from basketball and one from tennis.
The former England defender kicked things off by selecting boxing icon Muhammad Ali, which Ferdinand then followed up with boxing legend Mike Tyson.
Ferdinand then revealed his third pick would be six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan, while tennis legend Roger Federer was the final name he selected.
But fans in the comments were surprised that Ferdinand didn’t choose Ronaldo or Messi (or even both), considering he named Tyson and Ali from the same sport.
Ferdinand’s four GOAT athletes in any sport are posted below.
- Muhammad Ali (boxing)
- Mike Tyson (boxing)
- Michael Jordan (basketball)
- Roger Federer (tennis)
Ferdinand’s position on Ronaldo vs Messi debate
Ferdinand has admired both Ronaldo and Messi, but the former Three Lions international has usually stayed clear of aligning himself with only one player.
The 44-year-old footballer-turned-pundit watched Ronaldo bust onto the scene at Old Trafford and catapult himself to superstardom in the footballing world.
Despite not taking an outright position in the so-called ‘GOAT debate,’ Ferdinand hailed Ronaldo and Messi as “two amazing footballers” who are “ridiculous talents.”
Speaking to Goal in 2019, he said: “We are blessed that we are in the presence of these two amazing footballers and it doesn’t matter if you think one is better than the other at this stage.
“They are both just ridiculous talents and what puts them so far ahead of everyone else is their mental strength. That area of their game never ceases to amaze me and separates them from everyone else. It is something I marvel at, definitely.
“To consistently want to do what they have done at that level for so long is not something many people have and, when you throw in their talent, it’s an incredible combination.”
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