Wayne Rooney believes Andres Iniesta proved himself the best player in the world during the Champions League final.
The match had been billed as a battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi but, despite the latter scoring a second-half header, Iniesta stood out for many as the star performer.
Sir Alex Ferguson said after the match that he felt Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez had been the key to Barcelona's victory and Rooney feels that Iniesta is now the world’s greatest.
“I’ve never played against a better team than this,” he said.
"They are a brilliant team and I think Iniesta is the best player in the world at the moment.
"They scored their goals at good times and made it difficult for us.
"Barcelona pass the ball so well and if you don't take your chances they punish you."
He added: "I'm hurting at the moment, but we've got to get over it and look to next season.
“We’re still a young team and can come back, I hope.”
Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, admitted that all of the Manchester United players had failed to shine.
“Not one of us can say we played well tonight,” he said.
“It’s a shame. We created five or six chances, but they were the better team.”