updated 4:48 p.m. ET March 14, 2005

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Argentina soccer star Gabriel Batistuta is retiring, ending a career in which he became the nation’s career scoring leader with 56 goals in 77 games.

A former Fiorentina and AS Roma standout, the 36-year-old strike release a statement Sunday saying he was ending his career. Plagued by knee injuries, he announced Saturday he was ending his contract prematurely with Al-Arabi, where he moved in 2003 after playing briefly with Inter Milan.

“I’m retiring for good,” Batistuta said in a statement from Doha, Qatar, where he has played the last year-and-a-half for Qatari club Al-Arabi.

Batistuta, who retired from Argentina’s national team three years ago, played on World Cup teams in 1994, ’98, and 2002. He also led Argentina to Copa America titles in 1991 and ’93.

Batistuta debuted in 1988 in Argentina’s first division with Newell’s Old Boys, joining River Plate a year later before starring at Boca Juniors in 1990, where he quickly caught the attention of European clubs with his goal-scoring prowess.

In 1991, he signed with Italy’s Fiorentina, leading the team to the Copa Italy and Supercup in 1995 and ’96.

He moved to AS Roma in 2000, helping the team win the league championship in his first season. In 2003, he played briefly at Inter Milan before deciding to wind down his career in Qatar, where last season he was the league’s leading scorer with 25 goals.

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