Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand have not seen eye to eye for some time
A look at Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand’s heated past
- Cristiano Ronaldo row: During a debate over Cristiano Ronaldo’s impact and late career at Manchester United, Ferdinand publicly sided with Roy Keane in 2022 against Carragher during a heated Sky Sports debate, tweeting: “Carragher, stop arguing about league titles with a man that’s won multiple league titles!” Carragher hit back, accusing Ferdinand of arranging the Ronaldo deal and challenging his loyalty by mentioning Ferdinand’s attempt to move to Chelsea when United stopped winning titles. Carragher later accused Ferdinand of being Ronaldo’s “fan boy” and being part of a “group WhatsApp” that asks him to defend the player.
- Saudi Pro League hypocrisy: In 2023, Ferdinand prodded Carragher for his silence after Gerrard was appointed manager of Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, while Carragher had previously been critical of the league buying players. Carragher denied criticising the players, only the league’s attempt to “buy football,” and accused Ferdinand of refusing to do the BBC’s World Cup opening game in Qatar to avoid criticising his “paymaster.”
- ‘Clown’ penalty debate: During a 2023 Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and AC Milan, Carragher mocked Ferdinand for claiming a contentious penalty call was “stonewall” (even though VAR overturned it). Carragher stated: “I’m happy to call him a clown,” specifically targeting Ferdinand’s defensive background while sparing his own former team-mate Gerrard.
- AFCON controversy: It was earlier this year when Carragher suggested the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) doesn’t hold enough weight with Ballon d’Or award voters, implying players from African nations may need to prioritise club success. Ferdinand called Carragher’s remarks “ignorant,” arguing that AFCON should be respected more and that Carragher’s view reflects a majority opinion that is “not right.”
- Mohamed Salah dispute: Days after Mohamed Salah’s rant at Elland Road, Carragher wrote that Liverpool fans will always back a title-winning manager ahead of a star player. The Egyptian returned to action against Brighton on Saturday in the 26th minute after Joe Gomez went off with an injury and came on to roars of his name and song. The triumphant return saw Rio Ferdinand take to X and tag Carragher while asking him his thoughts on Salah’s song being chanted by the Kop.
