Gabriel Batistuta never took his title as Argentina’s top scorer for granted.
It was an honour he held dear to his heart until Lionel Messi burst onto the scene and eventually overtook the former Fiorentina striker.
Batistuta conceded that he was actually annoyed after Messi surpassed his 54 goals for the national team during last year’s Copa America, but took some comfort knowing his mark fell to a player with talent that’s out of this world.
“Honestly, not a little but a lot, yes,” Batistuta replied when asked if he was bothered by Messi breaking his record, according to Adriana Garcia of ESPN FC. “It was a title that I held. It’s not just any old thing.
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“You go around the world and you say, ‘I’m the top scorer for the Argentina national team.’ I liked that.
“But the advantage I have is that I’m second to an extraterrestrial.”
Messi has added another seven goals to bring his total to 61 in 110 games, with Batitstuta, whose international career spanned from 1991-2002, predicting that the 30-year-old will eventually double his mark.
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