Batistuta explains why he was ‘annoyed’ with Lionel Messi

Matt Stead

Gabriel Batistuta was “annoyed” with Lionel Messi for breaking his Argentina goalscoring record.

Messi surpassed his compatriot at the Copa America Centenario last year.

The iconic Batistuta had scored 54 goals in 77 appearances for La Albiceleste from 1991 to 2002.

But Messi has 61 goals in 123 games, and is expected to increase his lead over second-placed Batistuta by the time he retires from the game.

Batistuta admits that no longer being able to call himself his country’s top scorer annoyed him at one point.

“Did it annoy me that Messi took the record? A little, yes,” he told Telefe.

“It was a title that I held. It’s not just any old thing. You go around the world and people say, ‘he’s the top scorer for the Argentina national team’.

“I think I got to 54 or something like that. Lionel has more and will get almost double what I did.

“But the advantage I have is that I’m second to an extraterrestrial.”

More from Planet Sport: A tribute to Gabriel Batistuta, the long-haired unicorn of 90s football (Planet Football)