He may be named in virtually all lists that mention the best players of all time, but Lionel Messi knows that he still has some things that he needs to improve while on a football pitch.
The Argentine player, who spoke in a lengthy interview with Catalunya Radio, shared with the audience the only area of the game in which he could use some improvement: taking penalties.
Messi's stats show that his spot kicks could use a little improvement, especially when he needs to take PKs under pressure. "La Pulga" has failed to convert some key penalties, most of them with Argentina, and he referred to that moment of the game where he can still get better.
"The penalties. I'd like to be more effective," the Argentine ace admitted.
"It's very difficult. It's not the same to practice them as it is to take them in a game. There are a lot of other factors at play. When the moment comes it's much more difficult to do it than it looks," the player added.
Messi watches as Helmir Hallgrimsson saves his spot kick during the WC game between Iceland and Argentina. That penalty by Messi could have awarded three points to La Albiceleste rather than the resulting draw.
But according to the Argentine, who has scored 71 out of 88 penalties in his career, his mishaps in front of goal have more to do with how goalkeepers have evolved throughout the years than him being nervous.
"Today's goalkeepers save some penalties that the ones in the past wouldn't have. But, yeah, this is a thing that I'd like to be better at," Messi concluded.
