Batistuta: I've Been Saying for Two Years the Final Will Be Argentina vs. France

Former Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta recently sat down with "Gazzetta dello Sport" to share his thoughts on the World Cup.

"Group stage matches are one thing; playing to advance or go home is entirely different. Everyone talks, but they forget football is a game where players chase the ball, often unsure if their shot will find the net or sail wide. Argentina are world champions, yet their players perform as if they haven't won anything," stated the former Fiorentina forward.

Regarding Argentina's attack, he commented, "Lautaro (Martinez) is playing well. Julián Álvarez is also very strong and deserves to be on the field. If one of them is benched, it's not fair, but that's Scaloni's decision." Batigol then offered his prediction: "For two years now, I've been saying the final will be between Argentina and France, and I haven't changed my mind."

The 57-year-old Argentine added, "Before the tournament, I told Telemundo that to be the top scorer, you'd need 9-10 goals, and it seems I was right. But this is also a World Cup for goalkeepers. As kids in the yard, we all wanted to be strikers or goalkeepers. It's great to watch players like Vózinha or Hille. The World Cup is also about that."

"I don't miss football. I didn't enjoy playing because I was constantly in pain, and I knew people paid a lot to watch me. I never allowed myself to have fun. When I scored, I felt it as a responsibility – to give my best. Besides, I wasn't born like Maradona; I had to work incredibly hard," he confessed. "I was very strict with myself for the first 40 years of my life; now I live with joy. Like everyone, I don't know how long it will last. I watch cows in the countryside in my hometown, Reconquista. I also travel with the FIFA legends, and it's wonderful," Batistuta shared about his life after football.