Rio Ferdinand snubs Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as he names 4 GOAT athletes

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand snubbed both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo while naming the four greatest athletes of all time, according to him.

While none of the footballers could make it, legendary boxer Muhammad Ali was the first athlete that came to the ex-defender's mind. He went on to pick yet another sportsperson from the boxing community — Mike Tyson. Finishing his list of four, Ferdinand chose former NBA star Michael Jordan and arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, Roger Federer.

The pundit avoided picking between Messi and Ronaldo in this situation. However, he presented an intriguing point of view when asked about the duo back in 2015. He said (via Bleacher Report):

"Ronaldo is like a driven, well-oiled machine who has made himself a superstar. Messi is more of a natural, it's been given to him. Someone has looked down and said ‘you're the man'. If you were going to build a footballer, you'd build Ronaldo."

Ferdinand seemingly chose his former Manchester United teammate over the Argentine skipper. However, he reserved praise for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, calling Messi "an artist, a genius."

Ronaldo and Ferdinand shared the pitch on 221 occasions at Old Trafford without managing a joint goal contribution. Together, the pair won three Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League trophy, among other honors for Manchester United.

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"Ronaldo is a genius"- When Roy Keane settled Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT debate

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (via Getty Images)

In 2021, Pundit Roy Keane picked his former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi when asked to pick between the two by Gary Neville on Sky's Overlap.

However, Keane had come to this conclusion in the past as well. While covering the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he chose the Portuguese star, with whom he's played 68 times for Manchester United. Keane said (via Republic World):

"I think there has been a great debate about him [Ronaldo] and Messi, but over the last six months, I think he's on a new level -- Ronaldo's out there on his own. It's not natural ability, as brilliant as he is, it's sheer hard work."

"He's got a lot of courage, he's brave, and the guy is a genius. I think his form over the last few months, I'd have him above of Messi."

Keane and Ronaldo managed four joint goal contributions from their appearances together, with the pundit providing two assists for the Al-Nassr striker and vice-versa.