Messi announced his retirement from international football, and Giggs and Ferdinand discuss their encounters with Messi on a podcast.

For those who never had the chance to play against Messi, we both did. We both played against him. Now that he's retired from international football, it's our turn to tell everyone what it was like playing against Messi. Why don't you start? My experience wasn't very pleasant.

It really wasn't good. Actually, the first few times I played against him, it was okay. Back then he was on the right wing, and I remember Evra marking him very well. Then he got the freedom to move around as he pleased. In the Champions League final at Wembley, I was playing in midfield, so he was close to me. He came into my area,

and I thought, for the first few minutes, I'd just go at him physically, but he bounced off me. I tried to challenge him forcefully, but he didn't budge. He just dribbled past me.

People know about his level and Ronaldo's, their ability, their goals, and their consistency, but people also forget that these players rarely get injured and rarely miss matches. Athletes from two or three decades ago were different from now; tackles were rougher back then, but they'd still get up after being fouled. Not missing matches and not getting injured—we'll never see that level again. You can't stop Messi with your hands because he's short and just slips underneath. He's too quick,

he can change direction at will. His acceleration is the standout feature, especially in short bursts—the best I've ever seen. You think you've got him cornered, but suddenly he bursts away. It's a nightmare, and it was clearly more challenging for me.

He knows exactly where to go, and nothing can limit him. Just like in the World Cup match against England, he moved into positions where everyone was crowding him. We should have limited him, but for some reason, we couldn't during the match. I still don't understand why we didn't do it then. It's football IQ, pure game intelligence—knowing where to be. You mentioned moving from the wing to the half-space in central areas; he did that brilliantly, exemplarily. I think players like Lamine Yamal might fall into that category in the future. What's the challenge when transitioning from a winger to a central position? After all, there's more physical contact in midfield.

Although there's more physical contact around the midfield, you also have more directional options, and everything becomes more open. However, when you play on the wing, the fullback only gives you one option.

What I want to say is that Messi's performance as a winger was extraordinary, but when he played as a free player, his performance went up another level because he could drop deep and receive the ball. Yes, he doesn't run much. I've never seen anyone move like Messi does. He just conserves energy, and the team's tactics are built around him because he brings so much to the table. So he just needs to get into that space, receive the ball, and as I said, from a standstill, accelerating to full speed—I've never seen anything like it. His center of gravity is very low; you can't stop him with your hands; he's incredibly difficult to face, completely unplayable.

You mention his acceleration as his superpower. Would you list his acceleration back then as one of the strongest aspects of his game?

Yes, his balance and acceleration. Because the game is fast, opponents will accelerate past him, but Messi has balance and strength. He's strong, small in stature but with thick legs. He has everything: confidence, ball control, positioning, dribbling past defenders.

I think this is an underrated aspect of his game—he's excellent at finding space. We always talk about his performance with the ball, but as the most explosive player on the pitch, he can exploit space and is also the most lethal and decisive player on the field. Usually, players like that are marked tightly, or there are several players around him, but he always manages to get the ball when time and space allow, which is a remarkable ability.

Yes, defenders want to limit him, but no one ever succeeds. It's his experience and wisdom; he can dribble directly, and no matter how the ball is passed to him, he can control it perfectly. He can do everything, even score with his head.

When you played against him, did you sense a certain aura about him?

I don't know if you agree, but that was the best team I've ever faced—the one at Wembley. Yes. Xavi, Busquets, Puyol, Iniesta. I think if it weren't for Messi, we could have beaten that team. But with Messi, it wasn't possible. I've never said this before because they had so many great players. But they had Messi. He was unbeatable. He'd get the ball in space on the right, in space on the left, one shot, and he'd score. It's very difficult to defend against. Because you play for Manchester United, you think no matter how strong the opposing team is—whether it's Real Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan—you feel you can beat them. But when you look back at that Champions League final, the match was very difficult because of Messi. Of course, they had other great players.

Going back to that match, as a coach, I'd like to know your opinion on it. Particularly the one at Wembley—do you think we could have handled it differently? Not just to play more beautifully.

I think we had to play a perfect match, and they had to play poorly. They really had no weaknesses. I wish we could have done better. I mean, it wasn't different from the situation for both teams. I think the problem was Messi; he was very difficult for us.

Because we played very well that season, it was difficult for us to adapt to their rhythm, like assigning someone to mark Messi or something else; it was very difficult. So we could only play the way we did against other teams in the Champions League, and we played very well, but that team was simply one level above us.

I remember sitting in the dressing room, thinking, what just happened? Like in the Wembley match, I remember standing with you and Scholes, holding hands, saying, "Please help us," just wanting to get rid of this shame. It was very embarrassing. I think all my friends would say, "Wow, you got hammered in the final." This will probably stay with me forever.

Yes, as I said, we had to play a perfect match, and they had to play poorly, and Messi had to play poorly, but he rarely does in big moments like that, which shows he's a great player. It was difficult.

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