Rio Ferdinand names Arsenal World Cup star who 'outperformed' Pedri

The former Manchester United and England defender doesn’t think the 2021 Golden Boy winner was the best young player at the World Cup.

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka ‘outperformed’ Barcelona midfielder Pedri at the 2022 World Cup, according to Rio Ferdinand.

Both players starred at the World Cup for their respective national teams in Qatar. Pedri played in all four of Spain’s games, helping Luis Enrique’s side reach the last-16 stage. While Saka scored three goals in four appearances before England’s quarter-final elimination.

Asked to pick between Saka and Pedri on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “[I would pick] Saka.

“He outperformed Pedri at this World Cup. Three goals. You’d have to put him in there. He was arguably our best-attacking player.”

Who else did Ferdinand pick?

The 44-year-old also picked between Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga and Borussia Dortmund man Jude Bellingham, plus AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez.

“Jude Bellingham,” Ferdinand added. “Based on this World Cup, you’d have to go Jude Bellingham. He had the minutes on the pitch and he performed.

“Rafael Leao. Both [he and Martinez] have had limited minutes at the tournament but if I was a manager, and I wanted to purchase one of those two strikers, Leao would be first on the list.”