One of the most feared strikers of his generation, at his explosive peak Gabriel Batistuta was an almost unstoppable force.
The Argentinian was an exceptional finisher, capable of shooting with deadly power and accuracy off both feet. His physicality, acceleration and sharp movement made him a nightmare to defend against – and he also possessed an innate ability to deliver when it mattered most.
By the time he made his FIFA World Cup™ debut at USA 1994, he had helped his country claim consecutive Copa America titles in 1991 and 1993, scoring in both finals. It was unsurprising, then, that ‘Batigol’ took to the global international stage like a duck to water.
Foxboro Stadium played host to the Fiorentina icon’s maiden World Cup appearance, with more than 50,000 fans turning out for Argentina’s tournament opener against Greece.
Batistuta took less than two minutes to make his mark, driving forward before finding the bottom corner of the net with an impudent finish. He had his second just before half-time, his venomous outside-of-the-boot shot swerving beyond the grasp of goalkeeper Antonios Minou.
A Diego Maradona stunner put La Albiceleste 3-0 ahead, before Batistuta completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in stoppage time. The word ‘emphatic’ doesn’t quite to justice to his spot-kick: Batistuta almost burst the net with a thunderous strike as he rounded off a dream World Cup debut in style.
He went on to score his fourth goal of the tournament in Argentina’s Round of 16 clash with Romania, but the game ultimately ended in disappointment, with the South Americans edged out in a 3-2 thriller.
After four more prolific seasons in Serie A, Batistuta returned to the World Cup at France 1998 and would again showcase his elite quality. After netting the winner in Argentina’s opener against Japan, he made history in their second game of the tournament.
La Albiceleste led Jamaica 2-0 with just 17 minutes remaining, but Batistuta was in no mood to take his foot off the accelerator. He got his team’s third with a sweetly struck drive and added another when his powerful effort proved too hot for Jamaica keeper Warren Barrett to handle.
Then, with seven minutes left to play, Ariel Ortega was bundled over in the penalty box, the referee pointed to the spot, and Batistuta had a golden chance to set a World Cup record. No player had ever scored hat-tricks in two editions of the tournament before, but here stood Argentina’s talismanic centre-forward, primed to go where no man had before.
The result was almost inevitable. Batistuta’s technique was identical to that used when he completed his treble against Greece four years previously: he battered the ball home, with the velocity of the strike propelling him momentarily into mid-air with both feet off the ground.
Batistuta and Argentina’s campaign would end at the quarter-final stage, with a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands. Nevertheless, France 1998 saw one of the nation’s all-time greats further enhance his legend.
