Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has explained why he believes Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe will never reach the level of Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ferdinand, who played alongside Ronaldo during his first stint at Manchester United before the Portuguese forward joined Real Madrid in 2009, spoke about Ronaldo’s unique career.

The former England defender highlighted Ronaldo’s ability to reinvent himself, achieving world-class success in two different playing styles. He pointed out that Ronaldo transitioned from being a dazzling winger at Manchester United to a clinical goalscorer at Real Madrid, winning five Ballon d’Ors in the process.

“Ronaldo was from another planet,” Ferdinand said. “There’s no one else I’ve seen with two world-class careers in one. At United, he was an entertainer, then he became a goal machine, winning the Ballon d’Or. Then at Real Madrid, he transformed into a number nine and was still world-class, winning games single-handedly.”

Ferdinand believes Vinicius and Mbappe, though talented, will never be able to replicate Ronaldo’s evolution. “Vinicius isn’t going to go from a left winger to a number nine, and Mbappe hasn’t done it either,” he added. “When you look at Ronaldo’s career, it’s truly something special.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has praised defender Josh Acheampong after his standout performance in the Blues’ 3-0 victory over Legia Warsaw in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg on Thursday.

Acheampong played the full 90 minutes as Chelsea dominated the Polish team. Tyrique George put Chelsea ahead, and Noni Madueke scored twice to seal the win.

After the match, Maresca expressed his admiration for Acheampong, saying, “I’m in love with Josh Acheampong. He has the potential to be a top player for Chelsea. He can play in multiple positions, and the best part is that he’s eager to learn. If I need him as a full-back, he’s ready. He just wants to know what to do.”

Chelsea will play the second leg against Legia Warsaw next week at Stamford Bridge and will face Ipswich Town in their next Premier League match on Sunday.

Arsenal legend Paul Merson states to team that the match with Real Madrid is not over yet and to be prepared.

Speaking on the recent win of Arsenal against Real Madrid the legend shares “To be fair, all throughout this Champions League quarter-final fixtures, there have been some quality goals and performances.”

“I don’t think the Arsenal vs Real Madrid tie is over yet though. That makes this a tricky game for the Gunners.”

“Real Madrid’s front-three will be better in that second leg and if they can find an early goal, the pressure will be on.”