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On Tuesday, the Indian football team clinched its ninth South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) title, emerging victorious over Kuwait in a thrilling penalty shootout. At the heart of this triumph stood one man – Indian captain Sunil Chhetri. With close to two decades of dedicated service to Indian football, Chhetri has not only left an indelible mark on the sport but has also inspired an entire generation of players.
In a country known for its fervent passion for cricket, Chhetri’s exceptional achievements on the football field have brought the sport to the forefront, captivating fans and critics alike. The 38-year-old goal machine currently holds the distinction of being the third highest scorer of international goals among active footballers, with an impressive tally of 93 goals from 142 matches. Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi surpass him, with 123 goals from 200 caps and 103 goals from 175 caps, respectively. In the all-time list, Chhetri holds the fourth position, with Iranian legend Ali Daei leading the way with 109 goals from 148 matches.
What makes Chhetri’s story all the more remarkable is the fact that he represents a nation with limited footballing credentials. India’s last podium finish in a major championship dates back over 50 years, and their FIFA ranking has consistently hovered around the 100-mark. Despite these challenges, Chhetri has continuously excelled and led the Indian national team to qualify for two consecutive Asian Cup finals, a significant achievement in itself.
Chhetri’s dedication to the sport and his unwavering commitment to his jersey have not gone unnoticed. FIFA produced a documentary titled “Captain Fantastic” last year, shedding light on his illustrious career and immense contributions to Indian football.
One may wonder how Chhetri maintains such an impressive goal-scoring ratio, considering the limited opportunities for high-profile matches and tournaments for India. A significant portion of his goals has come from smaller competitions like the SAFF Championship, Intercontinental Cup, Asian Cup qualifiers, friendlies, and regional tournaments. In fact, the SAFF Championship alone accounts for almost 25% of his goals, with 24 strikes to his name. While some may question the quality of opposition in these tournaments, international football leaves no room for complacency, and Chhetri’s consistent performances speak volumes about his abilities.
Beyond his goal-scoring prowess, Chhetri’s longevity in international football and his unwavering work ethic have been instrumental in his success. The 2022-23 season marked his 18th year representing the national team and his 21st year at the club level. His ability to understand his body better and make tactical adjustments has helped him prolong his career and maintain a high level of performance.
As India prepares for the upcoming Asian Cup, where they will face World Cup regulars such as Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria, Chhetri sees it as an opportunity to assess the progress made by the team. He acknowledges the steps taken forward but remains focused on further improvement. Chhetri’s hunger for success and his relentless pursuit of excellence continue to inspire his teammates and aspiring footballers across the country.
However, the question of “who comes after Chhetri” looms as the veteran approaches the twilight of his career. With his recent one-year contract extension, Chhetri remains committed to the game for as long as he enjoys it. As India looks ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the search for the next talismanic leader will inevitably begin.
For now, though, Sunil Chhetri’s remarkable journey and his unwavering dedication to Indian football stand as a testament to theTitle: Sunil Chhetri: Inspiring India’s Football Journey and Leading the Charge to Victory
On Tuesday, the Indian football team won its ninth South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) title after beating Kuwait on penalties. At the centre of the triumph was one man – Indian captain Sunil Chhetri. He has served Indian football for close to two decades, inspiring a generation of players. Sports writer Gautam Bhattacharyya traces the player’s glorious journey.
A question that the motley team of football writers from India, who travel to cover the Fifa World Cup, often face is: does their country really play football?
The element of surprise is not unexpected. Despite its reputation as a huge market for football tourism, India has not been able to shed its tag of being a cricket-crazy nation.
But this is where Sunil Chhetri, the long serving Indian captain, stands out.
The 38-year-old goal machine, who led his country to a modest Inter-continental Cup and SAFF Championship over last three weeks, is currently the third highest scorer of international goals among active footballers.
He has 93 strikes from 142 matches – the top two positions belonging to Cristiano Ronaldo (123 goals from 200 caps) and Lionel Messi (103 from 175).
Take the all-time list and Chhetri is ranked fourth with Iranian legend Ali Daei ahead of him with 109 goals from 148 matches.
What makes his story all the more exceptional is that the list of all-time best 10 footballers is populated by stars from countries with an impeccable football lineage – where Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas holds the sixth position (84 goals) and Robert Lewandowski of Poland is ranked eighth (79 goals).
Compare that to the footballing credentials of the country Chhetri comes from. The last time India had a podium finish in a major championship was a bronze more than 50 years back in the 1970 Asian Games, while their Fifa ranking has hovered around the 100-mark for as long as one can remember.
Football World Cup fever grips cricket-crazy India Can India ever love football? The Blue Tigers – as the national team is called – acquitted well for themselves by qualifying for two Asian Cup finals on the trot now, though a qualifying berth in the World Cup from Asia has remained a pipe dream.
It’s in this ecosystem that Chhetri thrives, and does so with a tremendous sense of pride for his jersey.
His achievements have not gone entirely unrecognised – Fifa produced a documentary on him called Captain Fantastic last year, which is available on the Fifa+ channel.
SAFF Championship win IMAGE SOURCE,ANI Image caption, Chhetri led the Indian team to victory at the SAFF Championship Every conversation with Chhetri inevitably boils down to him being in the goal-getters’ race with the two superheroes of the game: Ronaldo and Messi.
Chhetri borrows the words of Bob Houghton – a respected British coach under whom he began his journey in Indian colours – to put things in perspective: “You cannot have the skills of Ronaldo or score goals like him, but nobody can stop you from working hard as him.”
Nice words those, but how does he maintain an impressive goal-scoring ratio for a country whose staple participation comes mainly from smaller tournaments, such as the SAFF Championship, Intercontinental Cup, Asian Cup qualifiers or Asian Cup finals and friendlies?
The Asian Games have remained out of bounds since Chhetri’s arrival on the scene, while the Nehru Cup – an invitational meet where he has nine goals – has also been discontinued.
The SAFF Championship, which India won after a shootout in the final against Kuwait in Bengaluru on Tuesday, has accounted forTitle: Sunil Chhetri: Inspiring India’s Football Journey and Leading the Charge to Victory
On Tuesday, the Indian football team clinched its ninth South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) title, emerging victorious over Kuwait in a thrilling penalty shootout. At the heart of this triumph stood one man – Indian captain Sunil Chhetri. With close to two decades of dedicated service to Indian football, Chhetri has not only left an indelible mark on the sport but has also inspired an entire generation of players.
In a country known for its fervent passion for cricket, Chhetri’s exceptional achievements on the football field have brought the sport to the forefront, captivating fans and critics alike. The 38-year-old goal machine currently holds the distinction of being the third highest scorer of international goals among active footballers, with an impressive tally of 93 goals from 142 matches. Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi surpass him, with 123 goals from 200 caps and 103 goals from 175 caps, respectively. In the all-time list, Chhetri holds the fourth position, with Iranian legend Ali Daei leading the way with 109 goals from 148 matches.
What makes Chhetri’s story all the more remarkable is the fact that he represents a nation with limited footballing credentials. India’s last podium finish in a major championship dates back over 50 years, and their FIFA ranking has consistently hovered around the 100-mark. Despite these challenges, Chhetri has continuously excelled and led the Indian national team to qualify for two consecutive Asian Cup finals, a significant achievement in itself.
Chhetri’s dedication to the sport and his unwavering commitment to his jersey have not gone unnoticed. FIFA produced a documentary titled “Captain Fantastic” last year, shedding light on his illustrious career and immense contributions to Indian football.
One may wonder how Chhetri maintains such an impressive goal-scoring ratio, considering the limited opportunities for high-profile matches and tournaments for India. A significant portion of his goals has come from smaller competitions like the SAFF Championship, Intercontinental Cup, Asian Cup qualifiers, friendlies, and regional tournaments. In fact, the SAFF Championship alone accounts for almost 25% of his goals, with 24 strikes to his name. While some may question the quality of opposition in these tournaments, international football leaves no room for complacency, and Chhetri’s consistent performances speak volumes about his abilities.
Beyond his goal-scoring prowess, Chhetri’s longevity in international football and his unwavering work ethic have been instrumental in his success. The 2022-23 season marked his 18th year representing the national team and his 21st year at the club level. His ability to understand his body better and make tactical adjustments has helped him prolong his career and maintain a high level of performance.
As India prepares for the upcoming Asian Cup, where they will face World Cup regulars such as Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria, Chhetri sees it as an opportunity to assess the progress made by the team. He acknowledges the steps taken forward but remains focused on further improvement. Chhetri’s hunger for success and his relentless pursuit of excellence continue to inspire his teammates and aspiring footballers across the country.
However, the question of “who comes after Chhetri” looms as the veteran approaches the twilight of his career. With his recent one-year contract extension, Chhetri remains committed to the game for as long as he enjoys it. As India looks ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the search for the next talismanic leader will inevitably begin.
For now, though, Sunil Chhetri’s remarkable journey and his unwavering dedication to Indian football stand as a testament to the transformative