“It’s like he’s downplaying Cristiano a lot” - When Rio Ferdinand accused Arsenal legend of having ‘beef’ with Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand once accused Thierry Henry of having beef with Cristiano Ronaldo following an incident between the pair back in 2005. Ferdinand also explained why Brazil icon Ronaldo Nazario had a problem with his former teammate.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry faced off against each other when Manchester United took on Arsenal in the Premier League at Old Trafford during the 2004-05 season. The Red Devils secured an impressive 4-2 win, with Ronaldo notably netting a brace.

However, the two superstars were involved in an incident where Henry appeared to slap Ronaldo's head during the game. During an interview with Andreas Poke in March 2024, Ferdinand stated this was one reason why Henry refuses to praise Cristiano Ronaldo as much compared to his fellow pundits.

On Ronaldo Nazario, Ferdinand said (via GOAL):

"There's beef there somewhere you know. It's cause of the name. I think because of the name, as if he says, 'You took my name,' so I have a problem with you."

Ferdinand also addressed Thierry Henry's beef with Cristiano Ronaldo:

"It's the same with Thierry [Henry]. Thierry is the same. The way I see Thierry talk about Cristiano, it's more what he doesn't say. He doesn't talk about him with any zest or spark. It's like he's downplaying Cristiano a lot."

"There was a clip at Highbury when Henry slaps him on the back of his head or something like that and Cristiano pushes him off. Cristiano then scored the winner and Henry's taking the kick-off with the goalscorer in the background. There seems like there's a little bit of a subplot story that maybe makes it with Thierry and it's probably still in his mind in moments like that."

Henry currently plies his trade as a pundit for CBS Sports and a consultant for Amazon Prime Video for their Premier League and Ligue 1 programs.

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Cristiano Ronaldo names the one trophy he wants to win for Al-Nassr this season

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he wants to help the club win the AFC Champions League this season. He also stressed the importance of his side maintaining their professionalism.

The Knights of Najd have struggled to make an impact in the Saudi Pro League and are currently fourth in the table with 25 points from 13 games, nine points behind leaders Al-Hilal. However, they have fared better in the AFC Champions League and are third in Group B with 13 points from six games, three points behind Al-Hilal.

Ronaldo said (via ESPN):

"It's hard to compete with teams like Al Hilal and Al Ittihad, but we are still there, still pushing and fighting. Football is like that; you have good moments and bad moments. But, for me, the most important thing is to be professional, to push hard, respect the club, respect your contract and believe that things will change - for Al Nassr to try to win more titles."

"The [AFC] Champions League is something I want to win for the club, but the most important is to keep pushing and be professional."

Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to win a major trophy for Al-Nassr since joining the club in January 2023, winning just the Arab Club Champions Cup - a friendly competition during pre-season.