Rio Ferdinand snubs Ronaldo, Benzema, names toughest player he ever faced

Rio Ferdinand, a Manchester United legend, has spurned past Ballon d'Or winners Ronaldo Nazario and Karim Benzema in naming the toughest player he has ever faced.


During a recent interview with GOAL, Ferdinand was asked to select between Ronaldo and Arsenal star Thierry Henry.

The former England defender reflected on facing Ronaldo in 2002-03, when the Brazilian scored a stunning hat-trick at Old Trafford.
Despite this, Ferdinand chose Arsenal star Dennis Bergkamp over Ronaldo.

Also, he chose Bergkamp over former Ballon d'Or winners Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Finally, Ferdinand said that Real Madrid star Raul was "one of the hardest" players he had ever faced, surpassing all others on his list of formidable opponents.