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Football Fans React With Joy As Rio Ferdinand Confirms He Will Depart TNT Sports At End Of Season
Cai is a news and features writer that specialises in football, but has experience covering a variety of other sports, including darts, basketball, American football, MMA, boxing and more. He holds a degree in Football Journalism (BA Hons) from the University of Derby, and worked with Nottingham Forest FC and Burton Albion FC throughout his studies. Cai also has experience working in social media with the Football Association of Wales, where he worked on a freelance basis, and has also been an accredited writer in the JD Cymru Premier for both Y Clwb Pêl-Droed and welshfootie since the 2019/20 season.
Get to know Cai Parry betterPublished28 May 2025
Rio Ferdinand has announced that after more than 10 years, he will be departing TNT Sports following the Champions League final on Saturday evening.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has announced that he will be leaving TNT Sports at the end of the season, with Saturday’s Champions League final being his last game working with the team.
He first ed the broadcaster, then known as BT Sport, in 2013 and has been a key element of their European football coverage ever since.
The six-time Premier League winner has come under increasing fire from football ers in recent seasons though, with many criticising the quality of his punditry while analysing and commentating on games.
Unsurprisingly, numerous fans have responded with joy upon hearing the news of his imminent departure.
On X (formerly Twitter), Rory Bond wrote: “You weren’t very good Rio. Need to ask yourself if you even tried your best.”
HLTCO added: “Rio Ferdinand is leaving TNT Sports. I’ve seldom seen such a universally popular piece of news on here amongst football fans.”
Another fan wrote: “Can we move it forward to before the final?”
Ferdinand, who wasn’t included among the highest earning football pundits in 2025, revealed that he’d be moving on from TNT Sports in a lengthy statement released across his social channels.
Rio Ferdinand Departs TNT Sports: Statement
The former England international wrote: “After ten incredible years, I have made the difficult decision to step away from TNT Sports after the Champions League final.
“Since retiring from football, it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching on BT Sports and TNT Sports.
“I want to acknowledge the tremendous from the team behind the scenes, whose hard work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.
“To everyone at TNT Sports, we have a brilliant end to the season to look forward to on Saturday and for now all focus will be on what I think could go down as one of the great European finals. The network continues to thrive with more rights than ever, and I look forward to following its progress and the exciting future that lies ahead.
“Lastly, I would like to thank my family and my management company New Era for their ongoing . They have ed me to travel all over Europe, following the best players and watching the best matches – for a football fan like me, it’s been a dream come true.
“As I turn the page to the next chapter, I carry with me countless memories. I am excited about what the future holds, spending more time with my family, focusing on Rio Ferdinand Presents & my other business interests. I hope to stay connected with all of you in different capacities. Thank you once again for everything!”
What Will Rio Ferdinand Do Next?
In his statement, Ferdinand claims he will place more focus on his 1.3 million-subscribed YouTube channel ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’, where he hosts numerous series’ such as ‘Rio Presents’, ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Rio Meets’.
Recent videos on the channel include interviews with PSG stars Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves and Vitinha, as well as with Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke. Ferdinand also says that he’ll now have more time for his other business ventures.
However, Mail Sport revealed in March that TNT Sports became increasingly concerned that the 46-year-old would depart at the end of the campaign after his management company, New Era, signed a partnership deal with Beverly Hills-based talent agency WME, opening the door for a move to the United States for the former United star.
WME have a whole host of famous names among their ranks, across sport, acting and music, and with the World Cup heading to the U.S. next year, could Ferdinand soon their star-studded lineup?
Rio Ferdinand’s Most Famous Social Media Moments
Perhaps the most famous Ferdinand quote on TNT Sports in recent memory came during last year’s Champions League final, when he stated that Vinicius Junior should win the Ballon d’Or nine times in the space of 30 seconds.
In response, numerous fans labelled the West Ham academy graduate as ‘cringe’ across social media.
Rio’s reaction to Vinicius Jr’s UCL Final goal 😂#UCLfinal | @rioferdy5 pic.twitter.com/v70i9zuYYk
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 2, 2024
Another iconic moment in Ferdinand’s career as a pundit came earlier in the campaign when Arsenal lost 1-0 away at the San Siro against Inter Milan in the Champions League league phase.
Without a caption, he posted an image of him looking on at Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff upon the full-time whistle, unsurprisingly sparking outrage from Gunners fans in his replies and in the quotes.
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) November 6, 2024
Finally, one that’ll live long in the memories of Manchester United fans, is when Ferdinand claimed that he’d ‘heard’ that the Qatari bid to take over his former club in 2023 had been accepted.
Of course, this wasn’t the case, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS would go on to complete a minority takeover at Old Trafford.
Rio Ferdinand: “Manchester United takeover is imminent, We’re hearing the Sheikh Jassim bid is the one which will be accepted and go through.” pic.twitter.com/c8Uy3K6JU8
— TalkFooty (@TalkFootyFC) June 15, 2023