Sunil Chettri becomes the third highest active goal scorer while playing for country.
Its difficult being a football fan in India. The sport doesn’t get the recognition it deserves or the resources it needs. We have been trying for many years now, to give this sport the status it commands with the I-League and ISL. However, we have failed to produce a substantial amount of serious talent which can represent India on the global scale.
There have been some names like Bhaichung Bhutia who is regarded by many as the torchbearer for Indian football. He is often nicknamed the Sikkimese Sniper because of his shooting skills in football. Three-time Indian Player of the Year I. M. Vijayan described Bhutia as “God’s gift to Indian football”.
Since Bhutia, there has been only one who has rightfully taken his place as the face of Indian football and that my friends is Sunil Chettri. The Bengaluru FC forward has been turning heads since he first put on a pair of football boots.
From scoring the most number of goals in international football for India to becoming the highest Indian goalscorers in the I-League and the Indian Super League (ISL), the Bengaluru FC talisman have achieved all. On 15 October 2019, Chhetri became the only Indian to secure a place in the list of top 10 goalscorers in international football.
The Indian skipper broke legendary football player Pele’s record during the match against the Maldives in the ongoing 2021 SAFF Championship.
Pele had scored 77 goals for Brazil and Chhetri went past the Brazilian superstar when he scored a goal in the 62nd minute in the match against the Maldives. Chhetri further bettered his tally as he scored another one to have 79 international goals under his belt.
The Indian captain is now the third-highest active international goalscorer. Lionel Messi (80) and Cristiano Ronaldo (115) are the two footballers who are ahead of Chhetri in the list of active international goalscorers. The Indian captain has also become the joint sixth-highest goalscorer in the world.
This achievement is nothing short of monumental as Chettri has done something which no could even fathom for an Indian player. Players like Chettri don’t just play for themselves, these generational talents inspire those who watch them from the stands and those aspire to make something of themselves in the world of football.
The center forward has cemented his name in the history book and with the way he is looking, it doesn’t seem to me that he is going to stop anytime soon.
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