During a show he participated in, Henry discussed Messi with Ferdinand, saying he has always wondered why people constantly compare Messi and Ronaldo, and that people should cherish them, because everyone will be sad when the two retire.

Ferdinand: When you work with a player like Messi, do you and your teammates handle things differently? Let me give you an example: when Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or during his time at Manchester United, we could give him complete freedom because you know he can make a huge difference for the team with the ball and help us win. Is it the same when you were with Messi at Barcelona?

Henry: Messi showed us what he's capable of, and it's no joke. You can see it in his training sessions, the way he treats his body. What strikes me is this: people are always talking about how great he is, what else can we possibly say?

Ferdinand: What do you mean?

Henry: Have you seen his physique? He looks incredibly strong, and that's exactly what I'm getting at. People always talk about talent and effort, and they really do train extremely hard. He treats football as his life, which is why he's so good—as if football possesses him. So when you walk into the dressing room and see someone who can score four goals in one half, you fight with everything you've got for him. Yes, if you can help me win, of course I'll give everything for you. If you're not someone who can decide the outcome of a match, I won't give everything for you.

Ferdinand: We've seen many strikers who are excellent goal scorers for many years. They're obsessed with data: goals, assists, and all sorts of statistics. But I've never heard Messi talk about that. However, you can't score that many goals and maintain such consistent performance without caring about data and statistics. Does he pay attention to them?

Henry: Exactly, he doesn't talk about these things; he speaks with his left foot. You'll never hear Messi say he's the best, absolutely never. It's like when he practiced free kicks. I think it was my second year at Barcelona, and he was practicing free kicks. At that time, his free kicks weren't that good, like most people when they first start practicing them. So I thought, he probably won't ever master this technique (laughs). Obviously, I'm joking, but my point is that even for the greatest players, persistent practice is key. This is something many people don't understand. Yes, he has talent, but you have to work hard. This guy trains day in and day out, and even now, most of these free kicks either get saved by the goalkeeper, go in the net, or hit the crossbar or post. Because people talk about free kicks—how many times he scores from them, how many goals he scores, how many shots he takes. That's what it takes to reach the highest level.

That's why for me, players like him and Ronaldo aren't just about football; their achievements can't be measured by numbers. The reason they can maintain such a high standard is through the way they work. That's why sometimes when people ask me who is the best or who isn't the best, I wonder why we're trying to compare two great players. Just enjoy them. Because when they retire, we'll all be sad. Ronaldo needs Messi, and Messi needs Ronaldo.

Ferdinand: I completely agree with that. I think all great athletes, regardless of sport—whether it's tennis, F1, or anything else—need another great athlete, that's for sure. You can see Ronaldo often shows his emotions, right? You spent a long time with Messi. Do you feel similarly about him?

Henry: Of course, even when not around him closely, his aura is very strong. He just wants to do his job; he scores four goals and then thinks about scoring the fifth, sixth...

Ferdinand: If he doesn't score, does he get frustrated in the dressing room?

Yes, he's also frustrated when he does score. I always wonder why people keep scrutinizing him. They want to talk about something. Earlier, I interacted with Bruno Fernandes on the show, and when we won, I saw Bruno Fernandes push back against someone else. It's the same with Messi and Ronaldo. These people think differently, act differently, and are always chasing perfection, which is impossible, but that's what they're aiming for. If you don't understand what's going on, I always say, don't try to understand a genius, just enjoy them.

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