Rio Ferdinand duped by fake screenshot in Rooney-Kane debate

Rio Ferdinand was caught up in a social-media misstep when he shared a doctored screenshot in an attempt to bolster his stance in the Wayne Rooney versus Harry Kane debate, according to reports published on September 25, 2025. The post appeared on X as part of Ferdinand’s ongoing discussion about who qualifies as England’s greatest number nine, a topic he has revisited in recent weeks on his own podcast and on social media.

The image Ferdinand shared was billed as a 2010 Champions League moment from Old Trafford, a match in which United supposedly romped to a 4-0 victory over AC Milan. In the doctored screenshot, Rooney was listed as scoring a hat-trick, with Beckham and Ronaldinho shown in the background looking disappointed. The visual also placed Milan in a black kit, rather than their traditional red-and-black stripes from that era. In reality, the night produced a 4-0 scoreline with Rooney scoring twice and goals from Park Ji-Sung and Darren Fletcher; Ferdinand started at centre-back alongside Nemanja Vidic, a detail that made the post particularly ironic for those who know the lineups. The post carried a caption urging followers not to compare Rooney’s legacy with Kane and Shearer, among others, in a bid to elevate Rooney in the ongoing debate.

The miscaptioned image quickly drew scrutiny because Rooney’s actual performance was different from what the doctored screenshot suggested. The 2010 round-of-16 second leg at Old Trafford did end 4-0, but the goalscorers were Rooney (two), Park Ji-Sung, and Fletcher. The photo’s dubbing of the match as a hat-trick triumph and the inclusion of a black-clad Milan side were clear inconsistencies for anyone who recalled or checked the game details. As the post circulated, some viewers noted the fake image but others shrugged it off as a social-media miscue, highlighting how quickly doctored visuals can spread in football discourse.

The episode unfolded as Rooney participated in Ferdinand’s podcast and spoke about the ongoing debate over Kane’s place in England’s pantheon of top strikers. Rooney’s remarks touched on Kane’s goalscoring record and his intelligence in positional play, with the former United great asserting that Kane remains a prolific scorer whose strengths lie in anticipation and movement. Ferdinand, meanwhile, posed a follow-up question about whether Rooney believed Kane had surpassed him in overall quality, framing the exchange around Kane’s consistency and impact across seasons. Rooney’s reflections in the podcast were used by Ferdinand to continue the conversation about what defines a premier-class striker, even as the doctored image overshadowed the larger discussion.

The controversy drew immediate attention on social media, where fans and pundits debated the seriousness of the error and the ethics of sharing unverified images. Some commenters urged caution when evaluating archival material presented in digital form, while others emphasized the importance of cross-checking date stamps, kits, and scorers before circulating snapshots of historic matches. The Daily Mail, which reported on the incident, noted that Ferdinand had not removed the post from X by the time the story went to press, raising questions about accountability and the speed with which misinformation can be amplified in high-visibility conversations about players who are widely respected in the game.

Beyond the immediate misstep, the episode underscores broader concerns about misinformation in football culture and the role of media personalities in shaping narratives. Fans often turn to social media for fresh takes on rivalries and rival claims about who belongs in all-time conversations, a dynamic that can be exploited by doctored images or miscaptioned clips. The incident also highlights the tension between using social platforms to provoke thought and the risk of spreading inaccuracies, especially when notable figures lend their authority to a point or argument.

For Ferdinand, the event serves as a reminder of the need for diligence when sharing material that purports to reconstruct past moments in football history. The doctored image may have been intended to clinch a specific comparison, but it ended up exposing a gap between perception and verifiable fact. As Rooney’s discussion on the podcast continued to circulate, supporters of both Kane and Rooney argued their own interpretations of the striker debate, with the broader audience left to navigate how much weight to give the opinions of former players who speak from personal experience rather than statistical consensus.

The online conversation shows no immediate signs of quieting down. Ferdinand’s post remains visible to followers on X, and the online exchange has already spurred a broader dialogue about the reliability of images and the speed with which narratives are constructed and consumed in football culture. In an era when a single post can reach millions in moments, this incident adds to a growing chorus of calls for media literacy and careful verification before sharing material that involves historic matches, famous players, and long-running debates about who stands tallest in the pantheon of England’s most celebrated strikers.