Messi rested and refreshed for Wembley final

The 23-year-old Argentina international is the top scorer in the latest edition of Europe's elite club competition with 11 goals, the third season in a row he has topped the chart, and he netted Barca's second in the 2009 final when they beat Saturday's opponents Manchester United 2-0 in Rome.

"I wanted to play those games too but it was also good for me," Messi said at a news conference when asked about sitting out Barca's final two La Liga matches of the campaign against Malaga and Deportivo La Coruna.

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