Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri
Chhetri with India in 2023
Personal information
Full name Sunil Chhetri
Date of birth (1984-08-03) 3 August 1984 (age 40)[1]
Place of birth Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (present-day Telangana)[1]
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Bengaluru
Number 11
Youth career
2001–2002 City Club Delhi[2]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2005 Mohun Bagan 18 (10)
2005–2008 JCT 48 (22)
2008–2009 East Bengal 17 (9)
2009–2010 Dempo 13 (8)
2010 Kansas City Wizards 0 (0)
2011 Chirag United 7 (7)
2011–2012 Mohun Bagan 14 (6)
2012–2013 Sporting CP B 3 (0)
2013 → Churchill Brothers (loan) 8 (4)
2013–2015 Bengaluru 43 (16)
2015–2016 Mumbai City 17 (7)
2016 → Bengaluru (loan) 14 (5)
2016– Bengaluru 161 (64)
International career
2004 India U20 3 (2)
2004–2005 India U23 6[α] (2)
2005–2024 India 151 (94)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  India
AFC Challenge Cup
Winner 2008 India
SAFF Championship
Winner 2011 India
Winner 2015 India
Winner 2021 Maldives
Winner 2023 India
Runner-up 2008 Maldives & Sri Lanka
Runner-up 2013 Nepal
South Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2004 Pakistan Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:54, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

Sunil Chhetri (born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru. He is the all-time top scorer of Indian super league history. He is known for his link-up play, goal scoring abilities, and leadership.[3][4] He is the fourth-highest international goalscorer,[5][6] and is also the most-capped player and the all-time top goalscorer of the India national team. He is widely regarded as the greatest Indian football player of all time.[7][8][9]

Chhetri began his professional career at Mohun Bagan in 2002,[10][11] moving to JCT where he scored 21 goals in 48 games.[12] Sunil was part of Delhi team in the 59th edition of Santosh Trophy held at Delhi. He scored six goals in that tournament including a hat-trick against Gujarat. Delhi lost to Kerala in the quarter-finals and he scored in that match too.[13] He signed for Major League Soccer side Kansas City Wizards in 2010, becoming the third player from the subcontinent of note to go abroad.[14] He returned to India's I-League where he played for Chirag United and Mohun Bagan before going back abroad, at Sporting CP of the Primeira Liga, where he played for the club's reserve side.[15]

Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, as well as the 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023 SAFF Championship. He also led India to victory in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which qualified them to their first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years,[16] scoring twice in the final tournament in 2011.[17] In 2016 Chethri led Bengaluru FC to a silver medal finish in the AFC Cup. Chhetri has also been named AIFF Player of the Year a record seven times in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018–19 and 2021–22.[18][19]

Chhetri received the Arjuna Award in 2011 for his outstanding sporting achievement, the Padma Shri award in 2019, India's fourth highest civilian award. In 2021, he received the Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honor and became the first footballer to receive the award.[20] He announced his retirement from all forms of international football in 2024 June, playing his last match for India against Kuwait.

His goal tally also ranks him fourth in the all-time list among international goal-scorers too, right behind the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ali Daei, and Lionel Messi. FIFA took to their official handle on X, to post a picture of the three currently active legends, placing Chhetri at third for being the third-highest international goalscorer in active duty.[21]

  1. ^ a b c "Sunil Chhetri". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  2. ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava. "Season ending Transfers 2002: India". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Six of the best Indian football players of all time: a guide to the greats". Olympics. 2 July 2020. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  4. ^ "SportMob – Best Indian football players of all time". SportMob. 12 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Captain Fantastic Chhetri strike seals India's 1–0 win over Kyrgyzstan". Business Standard India. Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 13 June 2017. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017.
  6. ^ "Captain fantastic Sunil Chhetri seals 2018 Intercontinental Cup for India". Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Sunil Chhetri: No better place than Doha for Indian football's Asian revival". Gulf Times. 3 November 2016. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  8. ^ "AFC Cup 2016: Sunil Chhetri – The captain who leads by example". Sportskeeda. 20 October 2016. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  9. ^ "We're upbeat: Sunil". The Telegraph. 3 November 2016. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Chhetri becomes the first Indian to join MLS". Rediff.com. 26 March 2016. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  11. ^ "The Rs 1 crore boys". The Telegraph. 15 April 2016. Archived from the original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  12. ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Chhetri, Sunil". national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  13. ^ "Goal rush". The Tribune. pp. https://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041106/spr-trib.htm. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  14. ^ Wiebe, Andrew. "Wizards sign Indian forward Chhetri". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  15. ^ "Sunil Chhetri joins Sporting Clube de Portugal 'B' side". IBN Live. 21 August 2013. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014.
  16. ^ "AFC Challenge Cup '08: India Win The AFC Challenge Cup '08". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  17. ^ Sengupta, Somnath (20 January 2011). "India In AFC Asian Cup 2011: Performance Review". The Hard Tackle. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  18. ^ "Sunil Chhetri named 2014 AIFF Player of the Year". The Times of India. 27 December 2014. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014.
  19. ^ "Sunil Chhetri named AIFF Player of Year for sixth time". The Times of India. TOI. 9 July 2019. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  20. ^ Desk, India TV News (2 November 2021). "Manpreet Singh, Sunil Chhetri to get Khel Ratna | Hockey News – India TV". www.indiatvnews.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  21. ^ "'Retiring As a Legend': FIFA Pays Tribute to India's Sunil Chhetri Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi". News18. 16 May 2024.


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