Fergie: This is bigger than the World Cup
Comparing the standard of the past three World Cups to the fare on offer in Europe's premier club competition, Ferguson insisted there was no doubting which offered the most quality.
"The European Cup is bigger than the World Cup," he said. "All the best players are in Europe and this is an incredibly competitive competition.
"In their side tomorrow, Real will have Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Luis Figo. That is an incredible selection to be able to make.
"For our part, we can embellish our own team with players of different nationalities like Roy Keane, Juan Sebastian Veron and Ryan Giggs. It means you can select a team, rather than organise one.
"If you look at the statistics of the last three or four World Cups, they don't get anywhere near the Champions League in terms of entertainment, goals and excitement. This is the tournament without a doubt."
Ferguson's comments will have come as no surprise to those who have measured his allegiance to the club game, which is in stark contrast to a perceived lack of respect for the international scene.
However, when looking at the players on display in the Bernabeu Stadium tonight, it is hard to disagree with his theory.
Veron's failure to recover from a knee ligament injury means the visitors are without one of their stars names. In addition to his English core though, Ferguson can still boast Keane, Giggs and Fabien Barthez, as well as tournament top scorer Ruud van Nistelrooy.
But even that illustrious list pales alongside Real's star names. In Figo, Zidane and Ronaldo, Ferguson believes the Spaniards have at their disposal the best player in the world from each of the last three seasons, while Brazilian duo Roberto Carlos and Flavio Conceicao are hardly makeweights in a team which has conquered Europe on a record nine occasions, including three triumphs in the last five seasons.
"What they have achieved in the last five years puts them back on track to achieve what they have always believed in, which is success in Europe," Ferguson said.
"Their record stands for everyone to see. They are devoted to winning the European Cup and we would like to be adding our name to it a few more times than it is there at the moment. We can only do that if we beat teams like Real Madrid.
"They have some fantastic players and we have to recognise that. But we have to look at the match-winners of our own.
"We have to be brave and enjoy it. If we go there afraid of the names in their side, we will be afraid all night."
With Veron out and Phil Neville missing through suspension, Ferguson is set to recall England duo Nicky Butt and David Beckham to the side that defeated Liverpool on Saturday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will almost certainly be stood down to the bench for a match which will be a test of nerve, as much as skill and technique.
Ferguson is one of the few members of the Old Trafford staff to have tasted success against Real, capturing the Cup Winners' Cup at the Spaniards' expense when manager of Aberdeen in 1983.
In three previous encounters with Real in the Spanish capital, the Red Devils have not managed a win. While the 3-3 draw in 1968 was enough to get them into the final, a scoreless encounter three years ago was not quite the result many pundits decreed.
In the home leg of that quarter-final tie, United squandered a series of chances and were then picked off on the break, eventually going down 3-2, the manner of defeat far greater than the scoreline suggests.
"In terms of the way we approached European games, that match was a defining moment," Ferguson said.
"We played with our heart instead of our heads. In the first half we could have scored four times but then conceded with eight minutes left.
"When we came out for the second half, we really attacked them and they slaughtered us on the counter-attack. If we had shown more patience I'm sure we would have gone through but I'm confident it won't happen again."
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
