Former Argentina star Gabriel Batistuta has reacted to Lionel Messi overtaking him as the country's top scorer at the World Cup.
The Paris Saint-Germain star broke the record after scoring a penalty in La Albiceleste's 3-0 win over Croatia in the semi-final on Tuesday evening.
Messi now has 11 goals at the World Cup and can extend that record in the final against France on Sunday evening.
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Batistuta had nothing but praise for the current Argentina captain when his record was broken this week.
"[Messi breaking the record] didn't hurt me at all because I enjoyed it while I had it," Batistuta told Argentine newspaper Clarin, as per ESPN.
"Leo deserves this. If there's one person who has to be up there, it's 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."
The 56-year-old has revealed he did not expect Messi to be performing the way he is currently is, as he the tournament's joint top scorer with five goals alongside France's Kylian Mbappe.
"I expected him to be much calmer, but he is playing like a 20-year-old," he added.
"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."
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