Rio Ferdinand names 3 superstar attackers who are just behind Erling Haaland and PSG star Kylian Mbappe

Rio Ferdinand has named Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. among his top five best forwards in the world, which also includes Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

The Manchester United legend, however, stated that Vinicius is slightly below the duo of Mbappe and Haaland, as the duo are clearly the top two forwards in world football presently.

Both players are currently lighting up Europe with their incredible attacking abilities, and it's no surprise that Ferdinand considers them among the best in the world.

However, Ferdinand went further to reveal two other players who he feels, alongside Vinicius, are just slightly below Mbappe and Haaland's level.

According to Ferdinand, the trio of Vinicius Jnr, Bukayo Saka, and Marcus Rashford are slightly below the aforementioned duo in terms of the hottest forwards in Europe.

Speaking about Real Madrid star Vinicius, Ferdinand said:

"He's on that next rung [below Mbappe and Haaland], isn’t he? I think you’ve got him, Rashford, I think talking about it, Saka's coming up on the rails."

He continued:

"But this kid, the difference between him and the ones I’ve just mentioned is that he’s done it at this level - the Champions League in knockout football and won the Champions League, and been a big part of why they’ve won.

Still speaking of the Real Madrid winger, Ferdinand revealed that Vinicius' pace and end product are two qualities that stand him out.

In his words:

"A big part of today’s football is pace - pace kills. It scares defenders to death and he’s not only got the pace, he’s got the ability to execute at the top end of the pitch. Brilliant footballer."

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How has the quintet of Mbappe, Haaland, Vinicius, Rashford, and Saka faired this season?

All five of the aforementioned stars have been classified as the best attacking players in world football by United legend Ferdinand. It's no surprise, as they have all been in impressive goal-scoring form for their respective club sides in the ongoing 2022–23 football campaign.

PSG star Kylian Mbappe has already scored a combined total of 31 goals across all competitions for Les Parisiens. He was also the top goal scorer at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after netting eight goals.

Haaland, on the other hand, has been outstanding, likewise for City. The Norwegian striker has scored an impressive tally of 39 goals for the Citizens this season and recently scored five against RB Leipzig.

Meanwhile, the likes of Saka, Vinicius, and Rashford have all scored 11, 16, and 26 goals, respectively, for their club sides this season.