Lionel Messi prefers to start from the bench rather than being substituted

Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi said that he doesn't like being substituted. Instead, he would rather start from the bench if he needs to play fewer minutes on the field.

History has been a witness to when Messi refused to leave the pitch especially when his team was winning by a massive margin. In a recent interview, Messi explained that he would prefer to start the game on the bench and play for a shorter period of time. He would never want to be substituted until the last whistle blows.

Messi said, "I say that because a lot of games are resolved near the end of the game, or you find more spaces then because you have more rivals that are tired. I prefer to come in and enjoy it than to leave and miss out on the best."

Out of 829 games that Messi played for FC Barcelona and Argentina, he scored 674 goals. That speaks a lot about his calibre. But in a previous interview, he said that he doesn't want to boast about his abilities.

Messi said that he likes to create more chances than to score. Indeed, he creates more opportunities for his teammates. However, it's the Argentine talisman who has his name on the record books.

ESPN reports that Messi said that he loves those moments when he has more contact with the ball. History is the witness that whenever he has the ball under his feet, his opponents perish. He also said that he waits for the perfect moment when the ball comes to his feet. And then, he can't wait but to play his natural game.

Messi believes that he has grown over time and he can read the game better than anyone else on the pitch. He also said that he would not trade all of his club achievements for the FIFA World Cup.

In 2014, Messi and Argentina ended up as runners-up, no thanks to Mario Gotze's extra-time goal for Germany. Although Messi won the Golden Ball in that tournament.