Rio Ferdinand Named His All-Time Greatest Champions League 11

Reaching, and then potentially winning, the Champions League – known as the pinnacle of European football – is on every young, aspiring professional’s bucket list. It’s the most esteemed silverware on offer and only the very best manage to win it.

One of those players is Rio Ferdinand. The central defender reached the promised land with Manchester United after winning the tournament in 2008. If it hadn’t been for Pep Guardiola’s domineering Barcelona, that may have been upped to three.

Ahead of the 2021/22 season’s semi-finals, Joe Cole quizzed Ferdinand to piece together his all-time Champions League XI. None of Real Madrid triumvirate Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Raul Gonzalez made the cut – but who did?

Goalkeeper and Defence

Edwin van der Sar, Roberto Carlos, Paolo Maldini, Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves

Between the sticks, the London-born defender opted for his former teammate in Edwin van der Sar. Imposing in nature, the Dutchman is regarded as one of the most commanding goalkeepers in football history and won his first of two Champions League titles in 1994/95 as a fresh-faced youngster with Ajax before adding another to his CV 13 years later for Manchester United.

“Judging goalkeepers for me, it’s do they transpire that calmness and confidence through the team? And our back four were always calmer when he was in the goal.”

Kicking off his four-man defence, Ferdinand opted for Brazilian Roberto Carlos and Dani Alves on opposing flanks. He waxed lyrical about the latter by saying: “He just patrolled the right-hand side [of Barcelona] on his own, whether or not it was defending at the back.”

Related

10 Greatest Defenders of the 2000s [Ranked]

The 2000s were full of incredibly intelligent defenders who would still be dominant in the modern game, but who were the 10 best of that era?

Branded a ‘superstar’ by Ferdinand, Garca-born Carlos lifted the showpiece on three separate occasions – 97/98, 99/00 and 01/02 – and is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ply his trade in the tournament.

Sergio Ramos, a five-time Champions League winner, and Paolo Maldini were chosen as Ferdinand’s go-to central defensive partnership. The former was a tenacious presence in the heart of the back line, while the latter was coolness personified.

On Milano-born Maldini, Ferdinand said: “He was a fantastic player. Looked a nine-and-a-half out of ten – I saw him in Miami once and he got out the pool and I swear to you I had to turn away! I just thought it was too much, you can’t be that good a player and look that good.”

Midfield

Clarence Seedorf, Xavi Iniesta, Andres Iniesta

Opting for a three-man midfield, Ferdinand kick-started proceedings by naming three-time winner Clarence Seedorf. He named the stocky engine room operator as the ‘most underrated player’ of the Champions League era, citing his well-rounded toolkit.

“Clarence Seedorf, for me, is the most underrated player in the Champions League. This guy won four Champions Leagues, three of them with different teams. He was unreal, seriously.”

Former Barcelona and Spain duo Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta made up the rest of his ultimate middle of the park. The pair were on the same wavelength for the entirety of their respective careers and dictated the game, irrespective of the size of the stage, with relative ease.

Related

11 Greatest Spanish Players in Football History [Ranked]

We’ve ranked the best 11 Spanish-born players in the history of football, taking into account several factors such as trophies won and longevity.

On four different occasions (05/06; 08/09; 10/11; 14/15), they lifted the big-eared trophy as they became one of the most feared midfield pairings of all time. They had it all: marauding up the pitch with proficiency while retaining possession like it was going out of fashion.

Attack

Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi

Encapsulating everything joyous about football, Barcelona icon Ronaldinho was a one-of-a-kind footballer and – despite winning the title on just one occasion – provided viewers with an innate level of flair that is simply unforgettable. He was, therefore, picked by the ex-Leeds United ace.

“The streets will never forget this guy,” Ferdinand claimed before adding, “He brought charisma, class – forget the skill, he brought an excitement, he brought a smile to your face. He was a joke.”

Related

9 Greatest Wingers in Football History [Ranked]

From Lionel Messi to Neymar, here are nine of the greatest wingers ever to grace the football pitch.

Having lined up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo on 221 different occasions, there are not many players (past or present) who understand how the Portuguese talisman works. Referring to the Al-Nassr striker – who often played on the wing throughout his career – as one of the best players to ever ply their trade alongside none other than Lionel Messi.

“The two best players to ever play the game [referring to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo]. Cristiano’s gonna be my number nine for obvious reasons.”

Talking of Messi, the diminutive Argentine who practically his own personal football sticker book when lifting the World Cup aloft in 2022, Ferdinand lauded him as ‘unplayable’ before recalling, with regret, when he ripped him apart in that Champions League final at Wembley. You can’t really argue with that, can you?

All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 29/12/24