Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand have been at odds for years (Image: Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher has reignited his long-standing feud with Rio Ferdinand, who oversaw the draw for the 2026 World Cup. The former Liverpool star mocked his former England colleague on social media after a video went viral of Ferdinand calling himself a “man of the people” while talking about the soaring cost of tickets to the competition.
The former Manchester United centre-back also spoke about concerns surrounding the proposed “dynamic pricing” model, which critics fear could prevent certain supporters from attending matches. “I’m a people person in that I come from a place where I always wanted things to be accessible,” Ferdinand said. “I know the people behind the scenes at FIFA are working towards something like that right now, but it remains to be seen whether they will get there. I think we need to be conscious of that and I think FIFA are definitely the people who are conscious of that and the power that is there.”
“I think we can look at every industry, every sector. We can talk things through. I think it’s more about making sure there’s a super-elite product out there that matches what’s going on on the pitch. Then everyone can feel justified in taking the time and working hard to get tickets.”
Mr Carragher responded by sharing the clip with three laughing emojis and three money bag symbols, suggesting he thought this was ironic given Mr Ferdinand’s wealth. The next morning, Mr Ferdinand responded by uploading a photo of himself holding a mock-up newspaper with his face on the front and the headline ‘The People’s Man’, tagging Mr Carragher with a light jab.
Arguments between the two are not uncommon. Over the years, the Premier League’s two greatest players – both now prominent broadcasters – have exchanged both subtle criticism and outright ridicule, both in TV corners and online.
The recent controversy stemmed from Mr Carragher’s controversial comments regarding the African Cup of Nations. In February, the 47-year-old sparked a backlash when he claimed AFCON was not a “major” tournament.
He insisted that unlike European stars claiming the Euros, winning the AFCON does not significantly improve Mo Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. However, Ferdinand publicly rejected that position.
“Most people would say (Mr Carragher’s statement), but I don’t think that’s correct,” he said. “I think that’s an ignorant mindset because (Africa Cup of Nations)… if you go to Didier Drogba, Abedi Pele, Samuel Eto’o, Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, they’ll say we have to win. I understand what Jamie is saying, I don’t agree with it. But I understand that it’s the fault of the majority and it’s not right.”
Mr Carragher branded Mr Ferdinand a “clown” on Instagram and accused him of distorting his message. “I didn’t say that, you clown, stop playing with the gallery like you always do,” he wrote.
??????????????????
??????????????????— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) December 5, 2025
Days later, Ferdinand took another swipe after tennis icon Boris Becker told Carragher he was “ignorant” about Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany. Following Bayern’s Champions League draw with Bayer Leverkusen last season, Carragher suggested Kompany could be under pressure if Bayern were eliminated.
“Bayern haven’t convinced me at all yet,” he said. “They’re now playing Leverkusen, who recently dominated Bayern in the Bundesliga. It’s a 50-50 draw. At the end of the day, I’m predicting Leverkusen. If Kompany doesn’t win, there will be a lot of question marks over his appointment.”
Becker, a devoted Bayern supporter, insisted to X that the club had complete confidence in Kompany, adding: “Jamie has no information at all.” Ferdinand chimed in, commenting: “Boris…he’s been having a rough few weeks. Please leave him alone.”
Rio Ferdinand ‘directed’ the 2026 World Cup draw on Friday (Image: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
A year ago, Carragher called Ferdinand a “poor man’s Virgil van Dijk” and insisted he should not be included among the Premier League’s all-time great defenders. Micah Richards captured Carragher reacting enthusiastically to Van Dijk’s equalizer in the CBS Sports studio during Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Luton.
“Look at Colossus, look at him, look at him! A marvel of modern science,” exclaimed Carragher. “He’s the best centre-back in the history of the Premier League, by a mile.”
Richards then questioned how Van Dijk would compare to other famous defenders such as Ferdinand, John Terry, Sol Campbell and Tony Adams. “JT could play with him, I’ll allow that,” Carragher replied, adding, “Ferdinand was a poor man’s Van Dijk.”
Jamie Carragher, like Rio Ferdinand, doesn’t keep his feelings to himself. (Image: undefined)
The jab followed an earlier exchange over allegations of hypocrisy surrounding Saudi Arabia’s rise to global football. The Saudi Professional League has attracted a number of key players with huge contracts, fueling claims of sportswashing as the country looks to rebuild its international reputation.
Ferdinand criticized Carragher on his show FIVE for refusing to condemn Steven Gerrard’s decision to join Al Etifaq. “Jamie, Jamie Carragher, where are you? I’ve heard so many negative stories about the Saudis. Oh Bernardo Silva, I can’t believe it. This is shameful. There needs to be an investigation. About this league and all that,” Ferdinand said.
“Steven Gerrard is gone. He used to carry his boots and bag when he went to games at Anfield. Your son has gone over there and I haven’t heard a peep from you. I haven’t heard how disappointed you are. I want to see him say, ‘I can’t believe Stevie has gone over there.’
Carragher and Ferdinand were long-time England teammates. (Image: Getty)
Mr Carragher then hit back, accusing Mr Ferdinand of avoiding oversight of Qatar during the 2022 World Cup. “I have never criticized Silva, Benzema, Neves or SG (Steven Gerrard). I don’t like the Saudis trying to buy football like golf,” he wrote on X.
“Like when we were in Qatar, @rioferdy5 (3 golden face emojis), we knew you were going to make a fuss! That’s why you refused to open @BBCMOTD because (you) didn’t want to criticize your paymaster.”
In 2021, Ferdinand said he had to “mute” Carragher whenever the former Liverpool defender spoke about the Premier League title. “Carragher shouldn’t actually be talking about winning the league,” Ferdinand said 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 led a team to win the league. So I think it’s very difficult for him to talk about winning the league with such conviction. He should stick to the cup. The moment he starts talking about winning the league, I just shut it down.”
At the time, Carragher, who had never won a league title in his career, was discussing Manchester United’s struggles to challenge for the title despite the return of Cristiano Ronaldo with Roy Keane on Sky Sports.
Carragher wrote: “No to me (the Premier League title) but Sky like my opinion! There is no (trophy) in my career without (Alex Ferguson) and when I stopped winning the PL with (Manchester United) I tried to move to Chelsea so please stop giving it to a big MU fan!”
Mr Ferdinand later shared an image of Mr Carragher’s rebuttal, describing it as “the bite of the year”, and joked that his comments were simply meant to provoke.
