Rio Ferdinand and Jamie Carragher's social media feud over old photo in 2026

Former teammates Rio Ferdinand and Jamie Carragher exchanged heated social media comments over an old photo posted by Ferdinand.

Old photo sparks new argument Rio Ferdinand and Jamie Carragher, who played together for England, showed their ongoing rivalry despite sharing a national team past. While they were club rivals in the early 2000s—Ferdinand with Manchester United and Carragher with Liverpool—they both frequently support their former clubs in public discussions. Ahead of their teams’ match on Sunday, Ferdinand posted on Twitter with the caption ‘caption this.’ The image featured Ferdinand and his United teammates celebrating Mikael Silvestre’s winning goal in a September 2004 game, with Carragher visibly upset in the background. Notably, this was Ferdinand’s first game back after an eight-month suspension for failing a drugs test. ## Carragher fires back with sharp response Upon seeing Ferdinand’s post, Carragher replied with a critical message, saying: “Not like you to make sure you were in the picture of someone else’s goal. You now carry on this ritual by hanging around mixed zones bothering star players & asking your lackeys to film it!” Carragher’s comment targeted Ferdinand’s YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents, and his habit of appearing on social media platforms to engage with players. ## Ferdinand defends his post publicly In a video recorded later on his podcast, Ferdinand expressed his surprise at Carragher’s reaction, stating: “I thought it was really, really harsh. I just put a picture of us celebrating a goal. I’ve scored a couple of goals in these games against Liverpool, but I didn’t put one I scored in.” Ferdinand clarified that he chose a moment where he was celebrating rather than scoring, adding that he enjoys celebrating achievements. “I love celebrating, and he tried to really hammer me. I don’t understand why. I don’t know what it is that’s rubbed him up the wrong way,” he said. Ferdinand suggested Carragher was overly upset, using phrases like “spat his dummy out” and “spitting feathers,” which some interpreted as references to a 2018 incident involving Carragher. ## Recalling past team bonds Ferdinand reflected on his long-standing relationship with Carragher, recalling their time together as England teammates. “He used to be a team-mate of mine with England. He used to carry my wash bag. He used to carry my boots sometimes, like when he didn’t get changed and was in the stands,” he shared. Despite the public spat, Ferdinand emphasized their history, noting: “I thought we’d always got on. I’ve known him since we were schoolboys.” ## United’s win adds to Carragher’s frustration The heated exchange came after Manchester United defeated Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford in Sunday’s match. Ferdinand commented on the emotional impact of the game, saying: “He’s going to be even more upset now, isn’t he? They’ve just been beaten. But this game affects people’s emotions and makes people react differently.” The victory added another layer to the ongoing tension between the two former players.