Rio Ferdinand: 'Lionel Messi made me feel embarrassed'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 14 April 2020

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand names Barcelona's Lionel Messi as the best player he has ever faced, admitting that the Argentine left him feeling "embarrassed".

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has admitted that he was left feeling "embarrassed" by Lionel Messi following the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley.

United faced Barcelona in the Champions League final twice in the space of three years from 2009 to 2011, with Messi scoring on both occasions as the Spanish giants came out on top.

Ferdinand has now identified the Argentine as the best player he ever faced, and revealed that the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's performance left him and fellow United legends Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes feeling embarrassed.

When asked who his toughest ever opponent was, Ferdinand told Copa90: "Messi was a killer. Ronaldinho was unreal, a free-flowing magician. But with Messi, he'd do all of that but there was always a goal or an assist at the end of it.

"Barca, they gave us an absolute lesson at Wembley. I was standing there watching them lift the trophy and me, Giggsy and Scholesy were standing together with our hands over our mouths and I said: 'I feel embarrassed lads'. He [Messi] took liberties."

Messi has won four Champions League titles in all, although the most recent of those was in 2015.