Gabriel Batistuta : A Perfect Number Nine

Gabriel Batistuta is a proper legend. A pride of the sky blue and white striped kit, of a powerhouse of the Latin America. At the club level, Batistuta has played over 400 matches for River Plate, Boca Juniors, Florentina, Roma and Inter Milan, scored more than 200 goals and won a few more cups other than the 1 Serie A and 2 Coppa Italia titles. He is still the all time top scorer of Fiorentina. But let's focus on his international career today.

Gabriel Batistuta was called up to the Argentina national team in 1991 for being the top scorer in the Argentine league. After that Batistuta played 78 matches for Argentina and scored 54 goals which is the second highest for Argentina. Batistuta got the chance to play in the 1991 Copa America in Chile. He was the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals and Argentina became the Copa America champion by besting Brazil in the final. Argentina won the 1993 Copa America again and Batistuta scored the most goals for Argentina that time too (second highest scorer in the tournament). Argentina beat Mexico 2-1 in the final of the tournament and Batistuta scored two goals. The 1995 Copa America in Uruguay was Batistuta's last Copa America tournament for Argentina, where Argentina lost in a penalties to Brazil in the quarter-finals, but Batistuta was the tournament's top scorer collectively. Gabriel Batistata represented Argentina in the 1992 and 1995 FIFA Confederations Cups. Argentina went to the 1992 FIFA Confederations Cup as Copa America champions. They won that particular tournament and Batistuta became top scorer, again.

Batistuta has played 3 World Cups for Argentina. He has scored 10 goals in 12 appearances in 3 World Cups. The 1994 World Cup in the United States was Batistuta's first World Cup. Batistuta scored a total of 4 goals, including a hat-trick, in the World Cup. After Argentina was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup in France, Batistuta became the second highest scorer in the tournament and won the Silver Boot. He is the fourth player to score two hat-tricks in the World Cup and so far he is the only one to have scored two hat-tricks in different World Cups.Before the start of the 2002 World Cup, Batistuta announced that he would take off his Argentina threads as soon as the event was over. The World Cup match in Asia was a nightmare for Batistuta. Football analysts branded them "hot favorites", but Argentina failed to make the "Group of Death" with Sweden, England and Nigeria. With just one win, Marcelo Bielsa's team dropped out of the first round. At the end of the match, Batistuta's tears still haunt many Argentine fans. Batistuta said goodbye to Argentina at the end of a disappointing World Cup.

Batistuta won another trophy for Argentina in 1993, the trophy of the game between the Copa America Champion and the Euro Champion. He was selected as the best Argentine player of the year in 1998. Batistuta has been playing football like crazy all his life. He had to pay the price for one injury after another. After finishing his career, he had to suffer from leg pain and begged the doctor to amputate his legs. Expenses of his hobby has taken the toll on him. Wherever he is today, we all wish him a very good luck in the life that lies ahead.