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Rio Ferdinand and Jamie Carragher's bitter 'feud' explained after World Cup draw dig
Reach Daily Express | December 6, 2025 11:39 PM CST

Jamie Carragher has reignited his long-standing feud with Rio Ferdinand, who oversaw the 2026 World Cup draw. The former Liverpool star poked fun at his ex-England colleague on social media after a video circulated of Ferdinand labeling himself "a man of the people" while speaking about the tournament's escalating ticket costs.

The former Manchester United centre-back also spoke about worries surrounding a proposed 'dynamic pricing' model, which critics fear could price certain supporters out of attending matches. "I am a man of the people in terms of I'm from a place where we were always hoping for things to be accessible," Ferdinand said. "I know that the people behind the scenes at FIFA are aiming and working to something like that now, whether they get there for that remains to be seen. I think we have to be conscious of that and I think FIFA are definitely people who are conscious of that, the powers that be there.

"I think we can look at every industry, every sector, we have that conversation about things and I think it's more about making sure that there's a product that's super elite that matches what's on the pitch and then everyone can feel that it's justified taking time out and working hard to go and get tickets."

Carragher reacted by sharing the clip along with three laughing emojis and three money-bag symbols, suggesting what he viewed as irony given Ferdinand's wealth. The following morning, Ferdinand had responded by uploading a picture of himself holding a newspaper mocked up with his face on the front and the headline "Man of the People," tagging Carragher with a lighthearted jab.

Spats between the duo are hardly unusual. Over the years, the two Premier League greats - both now prominent broadcasters - have exchanged both subtle digs and open mockery, whether during TV segments or online.

A recent dispute stemmed from Carragher's contentious remarks on the Africa Cup of Nations. In February, the 47-year-old sparked backlash when he claimed the AFCON was not a "major" tournament.

He argued that Mo Salah's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or would not be notably improved by winning the AFCON - unlike a European star claiming the Euros - because the competition was viewed as having lower status. Ferdinand, however, publicly dismissed that position.

"The majority of people out there would say [what Carragher said] and I don't think that's right," he stated. "I think that's an ignorant thought process because the [Africa Cup of Nations]... if you go to Didier Drogba, Abedi Pele, Samuel Eto'o, Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane they will tell you we have to win this. I understand what Jamie is saying but I don't agree with it. But I understand that is the majority's fault and it's not right."

Carragher fired back on Instagram, branding Ferdinand a "clown" and accusing him of twisting his message. "I didn't say that, you clown - stop playing to the gallery like you always do," he wrote.

Days later, Ferdinand delivered another swipe after tennis icon Boris Becker called Carragher "uninformed" about Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany. Following Bayern's Champions League draw against Bayer Leverkusen last season, Carragher suggested Kompany could face pressure if Bayern were eliminated.

"Bayern have not convinced me at all yet," he said. "Now they are playing against Leverkusen, who dominated Bayern in the Bundesliga recently. It's a 50-50 tie. In the end, I'm predicting Leverkusen [to advance]. If Kompany does not win, there will be many question marks about his appointment."

Becker, a devoted Bayern supporter, replied on X insisting the club remained fully confident in Kompany, adding: "Jamie is NOT well informed at all". Ferdinand then chimed in, commenting: "Boris... he's having a bad couple weeks. Let him off."

One year earlier, Carragher had called Ferdinand a "poor man's Virgil van Dijk" and argued that he shouldn't be included among the Premier League's all-time greatest defenders. During Liverpool's 4-1 victory over Luton, Micah Richards caught Carragher enthusiastically reacting to Van Dijk's equaliser in the CBS Sports studio.

"Look at the colossus, look at him, look at him! A marvel of modern science," Carragher exclaimed. "He is the best centre-back the Premier League has ever seen, by a mile."

Richards then questioned how Van Dijk compared with other famous defenders including Ferdinand, John Terry, Sol Campbell and Tony Adams. "JT could play alongside him, I would allow that," Carragher responded, "Ferdinand was a poor man's Van Dijk."

This jab followed earlier exchanges about alleged hypocrisy surrounding Saudi Arabia's rise in global football. The Saudi Pro League has drawn a host of major players on massive contracts, fuelling claims of sportswashing as the nation attempts to reinvent its international reputation.

On his FIVE show, Ferdinand criticised Carragher for refusing to denounce Steven Gerrard's decision to join Al-Ettifaq. "Jamie. Jamie Carragher. Where are you man? I heard a lot of talk, a lot of negativity about Saudi. Oh, Bernardo Silva, I can't believe it. It's a disgrace, it needs investigating, this league, etcetera," Ferdinand said.

"Steven Gerrard's gone. You used to carry his boots and his bag at Anfield to games. Your boy's gone over there and I've not heard a peep out of you. I've not heard how disappointed you are. I want to see him say 'I can't believe Stevie's gone there'."

Carragher later countered by accusing Ferdinand of avoiding scrutiny of Qatar during the 2022 World Cup. "I never criticised Silva, Benzema, Neves or SG [Steven Gerrard]. I don't like Saudi trying to buy football like they golf," he posted on X.

"I knew you'd be all over it @rioferdy5 [three money-mouth face emojis], like you were in Qatar! That's why you refused to do the opening game for @BBCMOTD [because you] didn't want to criticise your paymaster."

In 2021, Ferdinand said he had to "mute" Carragher whenever the former Liverpool defender talked about Premier League titles. "Carragher shouldn't really talk about winning leagues," Ferdinand remarked on YouTube.

"He's never done it. He doesn't know what it means. He doesn't know how to do it - he's never navigated a team to that point to win a league. So I find it very difficult when he speaks with such conviction about winning leagues. He should stick to cup competitions, the moment he starts talking about winning leagues, I just mute it."

At the time, Carragher - who never won the league during his career - had been debating with Roy Keane on Sky Sports about Manchester United's struggles to challenge for the title despite Cristiano Ronaldo's return.

Firing back, Carragher wrote: "No [Premier League title] for me but Sky like my opinions! No [trophy] in your career without [Alex Ferguson] and when you stopped winning PL at [Manchester United] you tried to move to Chelsea so please stop giving it the big MU fan one!"

Ferdinand later joked that his comments were merely designed to provoke, sharing an image describing Carragher's retort as the "bite of the year."


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