Lionel Messi claims he can read the game better with age

Lionel Messi of Barcelona
Lionel Messi

Argentine and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has revealed how his 15 years of experience has seen him develop his all-round game. Messi found the back of the net 674 times in 829 games for club and country. He also claimed that he ‘doesn’t live for scoring goals’ but still enjoys doing so.

Following El-Clasico‘s postponement, Barca skipper had taken the time to speak about his career and future, with Argentinian TV station TyC Sports, and explained how his game has changed over the years. ‘ I have grown up, and now I can read the game better,’ Messi said. ‘ I know when to become involved and how to be effective at the right time.

‘ There are times in games when I do not need to be involved, but if I spend too much time without the ball, I can leave a game. ‘ I enjoy arriving in the box and scoring, but I don’t live for scoring goals.’

Messi poses with his six European Golden Boot awards at a ceremony earlier this month. He also had 289 assists to his name from 829 games, further amplifying his role as a team player.

World Cup

Lionel Messi also spoke about his desire to win a World Cup with Argentina but insisted there isn’t anything that he should change for a change in fate in World Cup. Argentina missed the cup in a whisker, when Mario Goetze, Germany scored an injury-time goal.

‘ I would’ve loved to be a world champion,’ he added. Messi also has expressed his regrets over his international career with his native Argentina ‘ But I don’t think I would change anything else in my career to be one. I couldn’t dream of everything that I experienced after. It was far more significant than anything I could’ve imagined.’

“I know when to become involved and how to be effective at the right time. I couldn’t dream of everything that I experienced after. It was far more significant than anything I could’ve imagined.”- He added.

The Best

Lionel Messi named the former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker Ronaldo Nazario as the best forward he has ever seen in his life. “Ronaldo [Nazario] was a phenomenon, Of all the strikers I ever saw, he was the best,” Messi said in an interview. “He was seriously impressive.”

Whilst players such as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Pele and Diego Maradona are often quick to be suggested in discussions of the all-time greats, sometimes it feels like Ronaldo Nazario doesn’t always get the attention and recognition he deserves.

Experience in Argentina and Spain

The Argentinian is a phenomenon when it comes to scoring, but he himself focuses more on other areas of the game.”I’m not a typical scorer,” Lionel Messi said in an interview with TyC Sports. “I prefer to drop back, be in contact with the ball and create.  “I also like arriving into the box and scoring, but I don’t live for goals.

The Barcelona captain then compared Spanish football and that of Argentina, where things are somewhat more chaotic. “If you lose in Spain nothing happens,” Messi explained. ‘In Argentina you can’t leave your house and it’s really crazy. “With football and in general, the daily madness makes its way into football. “We see it with the national team around South America. They don’t let you sleep. They throw everything at you in the hotels.”