Messi: If I don't touch the ball for too long I can leave a game

Lionel Messi doesn't feel like most goalscorers, and he prefers to drop deep in search of the bar rather than waiting for it to arrive.

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," 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.

"If I spend too long without touching the ball I can leave a game."

Messi hasn't always been like this, though, and he says he had to develop into this kind of player.

"I've learnt to control myself in a match and find the right moment," Messi added.

"There are times when I don't have to get involved and I wait for the most suitable moment.

"I've grown up. I read games better now and know when and how to take part to be more effective."

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."