Manchester United star Dalot surprised veteran players by revealing why he chose Anthony Martial to join his dream team alongside Ronaldo.
On 21 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Diogo Dalot, a Manchester United star, stated that former striker Anthony Martial, often seen as a "failure" at Old Trafford, could easily become "the best player in the world" if he truly aimed to reach that level.
Martial joined the club during Louis van Gaal's era as the world's most expensive young player at the time and made headlines by scoring on his debut against Liverpool. However, he often struggled with consistency and only had one season scoring over 20 goals.
Dalot, who frequently faced Martial in training sessions, revealed during a five-player dream team selection that he picked Martial as a forward alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, which even surprised Rio Ferdinand.
When asked why, Dalot explained, "I chose him because of what I see him do in matches and especially in training. I face him a lot, and it's really tough. He's one of those players who, if he were more consistent—sometimes he loses focus—but if he truly wants to, he can easily be the best player in the world."
"In training, he does things that make you want to blow the whistle and say, 'That's enough, let's go inside.' I've seen it many times."
Ferdinand added that Michael Carrick once told him when Martial first arrived that the player had enough potential to win the Ballon d'Or.
However, Martial's career path has not been smooth. He was once loaned to Sevilla but still struggled with finishing. After his Manchester United contract ended in 2024, he moved to Greece to play for AEK Athens for one year, then transferred to Monterrey in Mexico.