2002/03 Argentina Home Football Shirt Batistuta #9 (M)

Condition: 9/10 Superb

Size: Adult Medium

Chest Measurement: 39-41 Inches / 99-103 CM

Manufacturer: Adidas

Colour: Light blue & white stripes

Material: Polyester

Seasons: 2002/2003 & 2003/2004

Player: Gabriel Batistuta

Patches: N/A

Official Adidas Argentina home football shirt from the 2002/03 international tournament. Complete with Batistuta #9 on the front & back of the shirt in official lettering.

The condition of this vintage football jersey is 9/10 - Superb (see photos).

After a good series of performances by Argentina in the qualification matches for the 2002 World Cup, hopes were high that the South Americans – now managed by Marcelo Bielsa – could win the trophy, and Batistuta announced that he planned to quit the national team at the end of the tournament, which Argentina aimed to win. But Argentina's "group of death" saw the team fall at the first hurdle, only managing a victory against Nigeria (Batistuta scored the match's only goal). 

They later fell to England 1–0 and managed a mere 1–1 tie against Sweden. This meant that the team was knocked out in the opening round for the first time since 1962. With 54 goals from 77 games, Batistuta was the record goalscorer for Argentina, a record he held until it was surpassed by Lionel Messi in 2016. 

Batistuta admitted he was a little annoyed at losing the record, stating, “You go around the world and people say, 'he's the top scorer for the Argentina national team’, before he then added, “But the advantage I have is that I'm second to an extraterrestrial."