Former Inter and Milan striker Hernan Crespo has already accepted the fact that Lautaro Martinez will overtake him in Argentina’s all-time top goalscorer charts, after the current Nerazzurri captain levelled Diego Maradona’s tally against Peru on Wednesday.
Martinez is now up to 32 goals for Argentina from a total of 70 caps, which brings him level with Maradona, who scored the same number of goals from 91 international outings.
El Toro has scored in all three of his nation’s most recent fixtures and also finished as the top goalscorer at the 2024 edition of the Copa America, with five from six matches.
Martinez and Maradona are currently joint-fifth in the all-time top list of Argentina’s top scorers. Crespo is next on the list with 35 goals, just three more than Martinez has at the age of 27.
Crespo prepared to be overtaken by Lautaro Martinez for Argentina
Speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Crespo was willing to admit that Martinez will overtake him in the near future.
“I’m on 35 goals, he’s on 32. I don’t play anymore and he does. The story has already been written,” Crespo told the pink paper in an interview published on Thursday morning.
He continued: “I’m really happy for him, though, because he’s caught up with Maradona at 32 and that’s a golden milestone in Argentina.
“I still remember the day I levelled Diego, in 2006 at the World Cup in Germany against Mexico. Riquelme’s corner, I put my foot in at the near post. Great memories.”
