Former Argentina worldwide Gabriel Batistuta mentioned he was blissful to see Lionel Messi overtake him because the nation’s prime scorer on the World Cup in Qatar, the place the South Americans are making ready to combat for the title towards France on Sunday.
Messi reached 11 World Cup targets in his profession after scoring a penalty towards Croatia of their 3-0 semi-final win.
“(Messi breaking the record) didn’t hurt me at all because I enjoyed it while I had it,” Batistuta, 53, mentioned in an interview with Argentine newspaper Clarin revealed on Friday.
“Leo deserves this. If there’s one one that must be up there, it is him.
“Messi is not an alien, he is a human being who plays better football than anyone else. When that person exceeds you, you can’t suffer, he just gives you pleasure.”
Batistuta, who scored 10 targets in three World Cup editions between 1994 and 2002, added that Messi has exceeded his expectations on the event in Qatar along with his 5 targets, three assists and good all-round play.
“I expected him to be much calmer, but he is playing like a 20-year-old,” he mentioned. “And that’s because he’s hungry, he’s here to win the Cup. That’s what football needs, that’s what Leo is spreading to the whole team.”
The former striker is assured that Lionel Scaloni’s group can beat the defending champions.
“Argentina have all the conditions to take the title,” he mentioned. “There’s something in the atmosphere, a positive energy, for this to happen. For Messi and for the fans too.”
