The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw brought its usual mix of anticipation, scrutiny and global excitement, as supporters waited to learn which paths their nations must navigate on football’s biggest stage.
But beyond the official proceedings, one moment between two former Premier League rivals — Rio Ferdinand and Yaya Touré — quietly stole the spotlight.
With the draw pausing between pots, presenter Danny Ramirez moved through the arena, stopping to speak with well-known former internationals.
Among them was ex-Ivory Coast and Manchester City midfielder Touré, whose insight was sought as his nation’s group fate was confirmed. What began as a standard interview quickly veered into more uncomfortable territory.
Ramirez first asked Touré for his thoughts on Ivory Coast’s prospects. The former midfielder responded warmly and professionally. But the presenter then switched direction, turning the conversation towards his two guests’ shared history.
Before a crowd eagerly watching, Ramirez remarked: “I know you and Rio, you used to play for rival clubs. Are you guys friends?”
Touré, smiling, kept things diplomatic. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said.
Ferdinand, however, appeared less amused. The former Manchester United defender stared at Ramirez, leaning in with a half-laugh that didn’t quite hide his annoyance.
“Haha, what you trying to do here Danny? I know you’re trying to get in the middle here, what are you doing?” he asked, calling out the presenter with a mix of humour and irritation.
Not backing down, Ramirez replied: “I’m trying to start it up.”
That only prompted Ferdinand to dig a little deeper into the past, bringing up one of the most dramatic Premier League title races in history.
“But I haven’t really forgiven Yaya for that 2012 title race where they took it off us but it’s fine… I’m over it man, come on, let me live man,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
It was an exchange that briefly shifted the tone inside the venue, as the pair’s long-running competitive edge resurfaced, even years after their playing days ended.
Rivalries that don’t quite fade
Rio Ferdinand and Yaya Touré crossed paths numerous times across their careers, particularly during the Ivorian’s dominant spell at Manchester City.
According to available records, the pair faced each other 12 times — Ferdinand winning three, drawing two and losing seven. That tally includes three meetings from Touré’s earlier period at Barcelona, a reminder of how long the rivalry stretched.
Their clashes were often decisive, given the stakes whenever Manchester United and Manchester City met during that era.
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While Ferdinand’s United were the dominant force through much of the early 2000s, City’s rapid rise shifted the balance, and Touré became one of the defining figures of the blue half’s resurgence.
The 2011-12 Premier League season, the one Ferdinand alluded to, remains the most iconic example.
United were in pole position heading into the final day, having done their part with a victory over Sunderland. Yet City’s extraordinary late turnaround — sealed by Sergio Agüero’s last-second goal against Queens Park Rangers — wrestled the trophy away from Old Trafford in the most dramatic ending English football had ever seen.
The moment is burned into the memory of both sets of fans: heartbreak for United, ecstasy for City.
For the players, especially those like Ferdinand who lived every second of that season, the emotions clearly have not disappeared entirely. Even more than a decade later, the topic can still provoke a half-joking, half-painful wince.