How do you stop this Barcelona team?

This Barcelona side is surely the best team of their generation

Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United

Mesmerizing, spellbinding, magic. There really aren't enough words to describe how good this Barcelona side are at the moment.

They ripped a very good Manchester United side to shreds at Wembley in the Champions League final with a style of play no other side in the world can play. Well, they can try, but they won't be able to do it.

Their side is filled with so much talent, so much joy and so much stardust. There really is nothing anybody can do to stop them right now.

In Lionel Messi, they have one of the greatest players to have played the game.

He isn't even 24 yet, but he destroyed Man Utd with his brilliant play, constantly haranguing opponents with his beautiful elegance, finishing it off with a glorious goal.

Messi celebrates with Javier Mascherano after his stunning display

The little magician's exceptional performances do not make Barca a one-man team though. Far from it.

In Xavi and Andres Iniesta, they have a midfield double-act so good it would be an insult to try and compare them to any other midfielders. They, like their team, are a class apart.

As United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said after Barcelona passed his side to death in the 2009 final, playing against Xavi and Iniesta is like stepping on a carousel, making opponents so dizzy they can't wait for the final whistle to put them out of their misery.

Andres Iniesta and Xavi are ranked as the second and third best players in the world, behind only team-mate Messi

Their unerring passing accuracy makes it almost impossible to get hold of the ball, impossible to get any grip on the game.

Here against United, they held two-thirds of the possession. This should be a surprise. No team should dominate like this in a European Cup final. But this is Barcelona. This is mesmeric Barcelona. This is one of the greatest teams ever.

There is just no way to get the ball for sustained periods against them. Pass, move. Pass, move. Pass, move. They display everything that is good about the beautiful game and more.

This Barcelona team cannot be compared to any other football team on the planet. The only sporting comparison you could make is to the Harlem Globetrotters.

In the semi-final against Real Madrid, they proved they weren't perfect with a number of pathetic incidents.

But at Wembley against United, they put right the wrongs of that dark night at the Bernabeu to reaffirm their status as the best team in the world. In truth, they are streets ahead of every other team.

Manchester United and Real Madrid are probably the second and third best teams on the planet, but they almost look like pub teams when standing against this Barcelona side.

We are privileged this dream team is here in our generation. They are as close to perfect as a football team can get.

In the early exchanges at Wembley, it looked positive for United.

They pressurised Barcelona's defence, with Javier Mascherano looking shaky at centre-half early on, but once Barcelona got into their stride that was that.

Pedro opened the scoring on 27 minutes after a period of real domination, with some masterful play from Xavi, concluded with a perfect pass, splitting the United defence and leaving the 23-year-old Spaniard through on goal.

van der Sar was left flat-footed by Pedro's strike

He coolly slotted the ball past Edwin van der Sar with ease, although the retiring Dutchman will have been disappointed as he was flat-footed and couldn't even try to stop the effort.

Patrice Evra will also have been disappointed with his role in the goal after being sucked towards the run of Messi, leaving Pedro free.

Surprisingly, United were given a foothold in the game just seven minutes later with a goal Barcelona would have been proud of.

Wayne Rooney's equaliser appeared to give United a chance in the game

Wayne Rooney exchanged passes with Ryan Giggs - who may have been offside - before unleashing a stunning shot past Victor Valdes. The goal hadn't been coming but appeared to give United fresh hope. In truth, though, this only delayed the inevitable.

Just nine minutes after half-time, the Messi show took over.

After a couple of close misses just before and after half-time, Messi decided enough was enough.

25 yards out, he smashed a stunning low shot past van der Sar to again give United a mountain to climb.

He should have been closed down better by United's defence and the shot shouldn't have beaten van der Sar as it was central, but take nothing away from the quality of the strike.

Messi's goal was his 53rd in 55 games this season

Messi took advantage of the space given to him with maximum effect, with his firecracker beating van der Sar in the blink of an eye.

With United visibly tiring and Barcelona having more and more chances to win the game, David Villa finished it off with the goal of the night.

With the ball at his feet on the edge of the box, he picked his spot in the top corner of the goal to leave van der Sar with no chance. Villa didn't have his most effective game but he worked hard and this goal was his reward.

Villa's stunning finish put the seal on a superb Barcelona display

Although United will be disappointed with how they conceded Barca's first two goals, there was nothing more they could have realistically done to stop the Catalans.

They are a class apart and when these United players look back in 20 years or so at their careers, they should feel privileged to have shared a pitch with this team.

They are a magic team and neutrals should enjoy watching them while they get the chance.

Barcelona have won the Champions League for two of the last three seasons now - it could have been three in a row if it wasn't for Jose Mourinho's miracle with Inter Milan last season - and they could dominate for years if this side is kept together.

The only pity is that there isn't a side that can get near them. Imagine how good football would be if there were two teams playing at that level.

This Barcelona will be talked about in decades to come, of that there is no doubt.

Even Mascherano, playing in an unfamiliar role as a central defender, was excellent after a nervy start.

In truth, Barcelona could have played anyone in defence as they dominate so much they rarely come under pressure. But credit where credit is due as Mascherano was written off in the lead-up to this game and he proved the doubters wrong.

There was a lot to dislike about Barcelona in the semi-final against Real Madrid but nothing to dislike about them in the final.

The histrionics of that game did not rear their ugly heads at Wembley, Pep Guardiola and his side seemingly determined to demonstrate only the beautiful side of their game.

Letting Eric Abidal lift the trophy, just two months after undergoing surgery for cancer, summed them up.

Eric Abidal had an operation for liver cancer just two months ago

Carlos Puyol, as captain, must have dreamt about lifting the trophy at Wembley but he passed over the responsibility to Abidal as reward for his wonderful bravery. It was a great touch befitting of this team.

Barcelona are a juggernaut at the moment and so much of that is down to manager Pep Guardiola.

He allows his players to express themselves and rarely makes a tactical error. He has built something very special, something which could dominate for years, which makes recent rumours he may be set to leave seem ludicrous.

Pep Guardiola also won the Champions League at Wembley as a player

If he was to leave now, he would only go down. He will never be in charge of a team better than this and he should manage them for as long as he possibly can.

Yes, there might be incredible pressure on him but he seems to thrive on it. Everyone must love him in Barcelona for his achievements as there really isn't anything more he could have done in his three-year spell in charge. Three league championships and two Champions Leagues in three years is an unbelievable record and Guardiola has the chance to build a real dynasty at the Nou Camp.

Ferguson has certainly built a dynasty at Manchester United but even his side can't compete against this Barcelona. His side were second-best throughout and Ferguson took defeat well as he knew his side had come up against a dream team.

Ferguson has now seen his side beaten twice in three years by Barcelona in the Champions League final

Only Wayne Rooney made any real impact on the game, but Rooney's excellent performance offers real hope for the future for Ferguson and United.

Rooney has now proved he can perform on the very biggest stages against the best in the world, meaning United can feel confident they will keep putting themselves in positions to win major trophies like this.

At the moment, if you compare United and Barcelona, Rooney is the only United player who would get into the Barca team.

He worked tirelessly and took his goal brilliantly, surely confirming his status as one of the best players in the world.

Rooney consoles Javier Hernandez after the final whistle

Rooney can be safe in the knowledge there is nothing more he could have done and largely his team-mates can feel the same.

Sir Alex Ferguson's warm embrace with counterpart Pep Guardiola both before and after the final whistle showed what great respect he has for this super-team. After the game, he described them as the best team he had ever faced.

Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex Ferguson have tremendous respect for each other

They have now taken their place in history, with many believing them to be the best team of all-time.

They are up there with the great Real Madrid team of the 1950s, Brazil of 1970 and Liverpool of the 1980s. It is hard to compare them with teams from other generations but one thing is for sure: they are the greatest team of their generation.

The match stats from this final tell their own story.

Barcelona had 68% possession, United had just three shots (one on target) in the whole game and United did not have a single corner. Barcelona are simply a machine and even the very best sides can not touch them.

This has still been a great season for United, with a Premier League title and a place in the Champions League final not to be sniffed at.

They should not be too down-heartened by the way their season ended as they can be safe in the knowledge Barcelona would have done that to any team.

The Catalans are just a class apart and, without being disrespectful to United, their win is a victory for football.

The beautiful game has been dragged through the mud in recent months with all the recent scandals surrounding FIFA, but Barcelona are a reminder of why we fell in love with football in the first place.

Barcelona are the kings of the modern game and should be the side others aspire to.

They are a pleasure to watch and a team which will never be forgotten.

All hail Barcelona.