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Despite his achievements as a player, Ferdinand's punditry has become increasingly divisive.

10 times Rio Ferdinand was football punditry’s answer to Alan Partridge

Michael Lee •

Rio Ferdinand was a brilliant defender for both Manchester United and England, but his punditry is proving more divisive.

Ferdinand’s work for TNT Sport on their Premier League and Champions League coverage regularly receives criticism for its lowest-common denominator observations and his insistence on speaking like a 14-year-old gangster.

We’ve trawled through the archives and picked out 10 moments where Ferdinand was football punditry’s answer to Alan Partridge.

Ballon d’Or

You’ve all seen this. You’ve all had dreams rudely intruded by Ferdinand’s inane parroting of your grandson’s favourite individual award in the world’s most prominent team sport.

But what makes this moment delicious is the utter lack of interest from his TNT Sport colleagues.

Saudi

Ferdinand was delighted that Saudi Arabia won the hotly-uncontested bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

He wrote on Twitter: “This is a football loving nation & I’m sure my friends in Saudi would have been celebrating last night.”

We’re sure he has a plethora of friends in Saudi Arabia, and of course who are we to suggest he doesn’t have a deep understanding of their football fan culture? He’s an incredibly detail-driven pundit after all.

A lovely, wholesome message. *Definitely* not one that has involved payment. And definitely not so transparent as to be insulting to your average fan.

In the Know

There was plenty of confusion and aimless speculation when Manchester United’s proposed takeover rumbled on throughout 2023.

Thankfully, Rio delivered us an all-important inside scoop in June 2023, telling us he’d ‘heard’ that the Qatari bid had been accepted.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS would complete a minority takeover of Manchester United that December. It remains unclear if ‘Sheikh Jassim’ even exists.

Observing

Objectively the greatest piece of media to ever be posted on the internet. A masterpiece.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s best friend

Ferdinand has never hidden his love and admiration for his former teammate Ronaldo over the years. It’s not just been about backing the Portuguese forward, though; it goes deeper.

While never drawn to a definitive answer when quizzed on the Messi vs Ronaldo debate (you’ve all seen the clip we’re thinking of) Ferdinand does his best at every opportunity to remind us all that he’s chummy with CR7, constantly detailing about how they text.

You just know he thinks Messi is the greatest, but can’t bring himself to say it and lose access to Ronaldo’s group chats.

World Cup wind-ups

We’ve written previously about Ferdinand’s 2006 TV show that truly defined an era of British culture.

England's Rio Ferdinand after their FIFA World Cup qualifying defeat against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast, September 2005.

READ: An ode to ‘merking’ told through Rio Ferdinand’s World Cup Wind-Ups

‘Good luck’

Is Ferdinand broken?

‘Speak English’

Ferdinand seamlessly plays the role of the classic Brit abroad here, unable to shake his suspicion that foreigners all speak English when his back’s turned.

YouTuber wannabe

A reminder that Ferdinand is a multi-millionaire and an extremely decorated former footballer with no less than six Premier League titles and a Champions League in his trophy cabinet, among other honours.

Considering that, why on earth does he feel the need to bounce around on the touchline like a YouTuber?

Answers on the back of a Jacob’s cracker.

Mind blown

Thoughts of a bloke who has spent his afternoon in an Amsterdam coffeeshop.

READ NEXT: Bukayo Saka & 9 other superstars Rio Ferdinand doesn’t consider world-class

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Rio Ferdinand