World Cup: Rio Ferdinand snubs Messi, Mbappe, Ronaldo, names favourite player 

Former Manchester United and England defender, Rio Ferdinand, has picked his favourite player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Snubbing the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe, Rio Ferdinand expressed his admiration for Nigerian born France international, Michael Olise.

The 47-year-old stated that he would ‘want to buy a ticket’ just to watch the French winger Michael Olise in action.

Olise has emerged as one of the standout players for Les Bleus during the tournament. Over the course of seven matches, he has accumulated five assists, the highest of any player in the competition.

Although France has been eliminated from the title race following a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals, they are set to compete in a bronze medal match against England on Saturday.

In a discussion on Rio Vlogs ahead of the match, Ferdinand said he has been particularly impressed by Olise’s performances throughout the tournament.

He said via RioMeets, “I want just someone with flair, man. Someone that makes me want to buy a ticket to go to a game, makes me want to stay to the end and don’t miss the end because of traffic, because he might do something again. This World Cup, it has to be Olise.”

With his outstanding performances both at the World Cup and for Bayern, Olise has garnered interest from several elite European clubs, including Real Madrid and Liverpool. 

According to various reports, he is keen on joining Los Blancos and has informed the Bavarians of his intentions.

However, the record Bundesliga champions’ hefty asking price of over €200 million is proving to be a significant obstacle for the 24-year-old’s potential suitors.