Wayne Rooney’s comments that Neymar was never a “top, top player” have caused controversy. And now Rio Ferdinand has responded.
The Manchester United legend defended the Brazilian star, even comparing him to soccer icons such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mr. Ferdinand supports Ney
Speaking on the podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents, which he co-hosts with other presenters, the 47-year-old former England footballer revealed that while he respects Rooney, he disagrees with his opinion of the Santos FC icon.
“I don’t think it was a Wayne vs. Neymar conversation. I don’t think it happened,” Ferdinand clarified first.
“I’m one of Wayne’s biggest fans and when I talk about what he’s done and what he’s achieved against other greats, I scream for him the loudest. But I have to say that Neymar was able to do things that no other player in the world could do. And I’m talking about Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he can do things that those two couldn’t do, right?” he continued.
“There are times when you look at him and think, ‘Yes, this is the heir to the throne.’Likewise, he was close to that at one point in his career when he was at Rose,” he said.
Ferdinand and Rooney’s comments came after manager Carlo Ancelotti excluded Neymar from the squad for Brazil’s friendly against France in Boston on March 26 and against Croatia in Orlando on March 31. This extends his absence from the national team, as he has not played for Canarinha since October 17, 2023.
The truth is that the reason behind Carletto’s decision was the Brazilian star’s health. Ney missed the match against Mirasol due to muscle pain and was not feeling 100%. He played in the matches against Corinthians and Internacional, but also missed the match against Cruzeiro as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, the Italian coach did not rule out the possibility of including him in the 2026 World Cup, but everything will depend on his recovery and whether he arrives at the tournament in the best possible condition.
For this tournament, Brazil will be placed in Group C along with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland. They will make their debut against Morocco on Saturday, June 13th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. They will then face Haiti at Soldier Field in Philadelphia on Friday, June 19th, and Scotland at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Wednesday, June 24th.
