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Sunil Chhetri

December 07, 2023

Sunil Chhetri (born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC and the India national team. He is known for his link-up play, goal scoring abilities, and leadership.[3][4] He is the third-highest international goalscorer among active players, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi,[5][6] fourth overall, and is also the most-capped player and the all-time top goalscorer of the India national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian footballers of all time for his contributions for the country. [7][8][9]

Sunil Chhetri
Personal information
Full name Sunil Chhetri
Date of birth (1984-08-03) 3 August 1984 (age 39)[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 (8)
2005–2008 JCT 79 (44)
2008–2009 East Bengal 17 (9)
2009–2010 Dempo 13 (8)
2010 Kansas City Wizards 1 (0)
2011 Chirag United 7 (7)
2011–2012 Mohun Bagan 14 (8)
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 138 (59)
International career‡
2004 India U20 3 (2)
2006–2023 India U23 6[a] (2)
2005– India 145 (93)
Medal record
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:00, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:11, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

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]

Club career edit

Mohun Bagan edit

Chhetri began his professional football journey with Mohun Bagan of the National Football League after playing with City Football Club of New Delhi.[12] After his first season with the club, the 2002–03 season, Chhetri had scored four goals[21] as Mohun Bagan finished in seventh place in the table.[22] The next season, Chhetri scored only two goals. The first came against Sporting Goa while the second came against Indian Bank as Mohun Bagan once again finished in the bottom half of the table, in ninth place.[23] In 2004–05 season, He scored a hattrick against Tollygunge Agragami where he came as a substitute in a 4-0 win.[24]; this time Mohun Bagan finished eighth in the league and remained in the National Football League on goal difference.[25]

JCT edit

In 2005, Chhetri signed for JCT for the 2005–06 season.[12] During that season, Chhetri scored three goals. He scored twice against Salgaocar before the third came against Sporting Goa, as JCT finished the season that year in sixth place.[26] Meanwhile, in the Santosh Trophy, Chhetri scored two hat-tricks for Delhi in the group stages of the 61st Santosh Trophy against both Orissa and Railways.[27] However, despite Chhetri's best efforts, Delhi were eliminated in the pre-quarter final round after losing 1–0 to Tamil Nadu in extra time.[27]

Then, during the 2006–07 season, Chhetri scored a total of twelve goals in the league for JCT as the club finished in second place, behind Dempo.[28] Among his best games during that season were the matches against his former club Mohun Bagan and Dempo in which he scored braces in both matches as JCT won both games 2–0 and 3–2 respectively.[29][30]

Then, during the very first season of the I-League, Chhetri scored seven goals as JCT finished the season in third place.[31] His only brace that season came against Salgaocar during the final match of the season.[32] Midway through that season though, in December 2007, Chhetri was awarded the AIFF Player of the Year award for 2007 for his excellent form and performances for his club and country.[18]

Interest abroad edit

"Of course, I would love to play in Europe like [David] Villa and it all depends where I get an offer from. England would certainly be fine and I have had talks but the stumbling blocks are the work permit restrictions."

—Sunil Chhetri, stating his desire to move abroad to play alongside Spanish striker David Villa.[33]

In October 2008, it was rumored that Chhetri had sparked interest from foreign clubs. These clubs were Leeds United of the Football League One and Estoril Praia of the Liga de Honra, the second division of Portugal.[34] During an interview Chhetri said that "Nothing has been confirmed as yet but yes, I think I am close to getting there." indicating that there was a chance of him signing in England.[35] However, in the end, a move never materialized.

East Bengal edit

Before the 2008–09 season began, Chhetri signed with fellow I-League side East Bengal.[12] He scored on his debut for East Bengal against Chirag United on 26 September 2008 in which he scored in the 28th minute as East Bengal won the match 3–1.[36][37]

Chhetri then went on to score a crucial goal for East Bengal during the Federation Cup in which he scored the only goal against his former club, JCT, which led to East Bengal booking a place in the semi-finals.[38] During the semi-final match, East Bengal took on arch-rivals and another of Sunil's former clubs, Mohun Bagan, in which he missed the decisive penalty in the penalty shootout as East Bengal were officially knocked-out of the tournament.[39]

Midway through the season though, reports came out suggesting that two Major League Soccer teams were interesting in Chhetri, along with his international teammate Steven Dias.[40] These two MLS sides were rumored to be the Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United. However, on 25 January 2009, Chhetri arrived in Coventry, England to begin a trial at Coventry City of the Football League Championship, thus rejecting MLS.[41] Four days later though, Coventry City manager Chris Coleman said that they would not be following their interest in Chhetri.[42] Four months later though, Chhetri said that he would go back to Coventry City in June 2009 for another extended trial.[43] That never materialized however.

Dempo edit

Upon being released by East Bengal, Chhetri signed a two-year contract with another fellow I-League side, Dempo on 22 May 2009.[44] In his contract was a clause which allowed him to leave for trials abroad in the future if he wanted to.[44]

More foreign interest edit

On 7 August 2009 it was reported that Scottish Premier League side Celtic were linked with a move to sign Chhetri.[45] The Scottish club had watched Chhetri during a pre-season friendly with Santboià, a Segunda División B side, in a pre-season fixture.[45] Yogesh Joshee, Chhetri's agent, was quoted as saying, "I'm waiting to get feedback from Celtic, who saw him on Monday by head scout and then another scout came to watch game, I'll let you know the outcome when I know."[45]

Then on 30 August 2009 it was announced by the Hindustan Times that Chhetri had signed a three-year contract with English Football League Championship side Queens Park Rangers but that he was denied a work permit by the British government.[46] According to an article on the Football Players' Association of India's official website, Chhetri was denied a work permit because India were not in the top 70 of the FIFA World Rankings. Chhetri, however, remained positive: "But it's not the end of the world. I will still continue to work hard for my country and my club Dempo, who have been very supportive."[46]

Kansas City edit

In March 2010 it was announced that Chhetri was on trial with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer and that he had played during their pre-season games.[47] He then formally signed for the team on 24 March 2010, becoming just the third Indian to play outside of South Asia and the first Indian to play in MLS.[14] Peter Vermes, the head coach of the Wizards, was quoted as saying "One thing we really like about Sunil is that he's a crafty player. Technically he's very sharp, and he's a guy that has good attacking tendencies."[14]

On 4 April 2010, he scored a hat-trick in Kansas City Wizards’ reserves 5-0 victory over Evansville.[48] On 14 April 2010, Chhetri made his debut for the Wizards in a U.S. Open Cup qualification play-in game against the Colorado Rapids. He started but earned a yellow card and was substituted out of the game at half-time; Kansas City lost the match 1–2.[49] On 23 July 2010, it was announced that Chhetri would play in a mid-season friendly against Manchester United.[50] The decision was criticised as a public relations exercise rather than one made on merit, as he had not yet played a league match.[51] On 25 July 2010, Chhetri made an appearance for the Wizards against Manchester United, coming on as a substitute for Teal Bunbury in the 69th minute as Kansas City won the match 2–1.[52]

The next day, it was announced that Chhetri was to compete for the India national team until the end of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.[53] The Wizards (who had been renamed Sporting Kansas City) announced on 5 February 2011 that Chhetri had officially left the team.[54]

Chirag United edit

On 10 February 2011, it was announced that Chirag United had beaten United Sikkim to the signing of Sunil Chhetri for the rest of the 2010–11 I-League season.[55] On 3 April 2011, Chhetri scored his first goal for Chirag United against Dempo, however, Dempo won the match 4–2.[56] Chhetri then scored a brace on 29 April 2011 against ONGC to help salvage a 2–2 draw for Chirag.[57]

Mohun Bagan edit

On 22 July 2011, it was announced by I-League club Mohun Bagan that Chhetri has rejoined the club and signed a one-year deal.[58] He made his debut on 23 October 2011 in 2011-12 I-League opening game against Pailan Arrows where he started the game in a 3-1 victory.[59] On 6 November, he scored his first goals when he struck twice in a thumping 5-1 win over Mumbai FC.[60]

Sporting CP B edit

On 4 July 2012, it was reported that Chhetri had signed a two-year contract with Sporting CP and would play in their reserve team.[61] Then, he made his debut for the side in a Segunda Liga match against Freamunde in which he came on in the 85th minute as Sporting CP B won the match 2–0.[62]

Loan to Churchill Brothers edit

On 13 February 2013, it was announced that in order to get more playing time Chhetri would be loaned out to Churchill Brothers in the I-League for the remainder of the season.[63] He made his debut for Churchill Brothers on 21 February 2013 against Dempo in the first game of 2012–13 Goa Professional League season championship round in which Chhetri started and scored a brace in a 2-0 win.[64] He made his continental debut on 26 February 2013 against Kitchee in the 2013 AFC Cup in which Chhetri started as Churchill Brothers lost 0–3.[65] He then scored his first goal for Churchill Brothers in their next match against Semen Padang on 12 March 2013 in which he started and scored in the 27th minute as Churchill Brothers drew the match 2–2.[66] After the season ended, Chhetri had scored four goals in eight league matches as he helped Churchill Brothers to their second ever I-League title.[67]

Bengaluru edit

2013–14 edit

On 19 July 2013, following his release from Sporting CP, Chhetri signed with new direct-entry I-League side Bengaluru for the 2013–14 season.[68] He made his debut for the club in their opening game on 22 September 2013 against Mohun Bagan in which he came on as a 46th-minute substitute for Beikhokhei Beingaichho as Bengaluru managed a 1–1 draw.[69] Chhetri then scored his first goal for the side in the next game against Rangdajied United in which he found the net in the 67th minute as Bengaluru won 3–0.[70]

He did not score again for Bengaluru till November when, on the 2nd against Mumbai, Chhetri scored from the penalty-spot in the 57th minute to help Bengaluru FC to a 2–2 draw.[71] He then scored his first brace of the season against on 1 December 2013 against Shillong Lajong in which his 7th and 34th-minute strikes helped the team to a 2–1 victory.[72] Then in the next match against former club Churchill Brothers Chhetri scored another brace as he led Bengaluru FC to a 3–1 victory.[73] He then scored his third brace in a row in the very next match against Mohammedan as he led Bengaluru FC to a 3–2 win in Kolkata.[74]

Chhetri then finished off an impressive first half of the season for Bengaluru with a goal from the penalty spot against Salgaocar, his ninth of the season, as he led the Bangalore side to a 2–1 victory.[75] He then scored another goal in the teams very first Federation Cup match against Sporting Goa as Bengaluru FC won 5–3 on 15 January 2014.[76] With 14 goals and 7 assist in 23 appearances in the season, Chhetri led Bengaluru FC to their first ever I-League title in its debut season.

2014–15 edit

Chhetri began the season in the 2014 Durand Cup, playing and scoring three times but missed the penalty in the shoot-out in the semi-final against Salgaocar which turned out to be the decisive penalty miss as Bengaluru crashed out.

Chhetri scored a brace in his side's first match of 2014–15 Federation Cup against Salgaocar in a match which eventually ended 3–2 in his side's favor. Chhetri scored another brace in the last group stage match of the cup against Pune, scoring one from open play and one from the penalty spot and thus leading his side to the semi-final. He kept up his form in the semi-final against Sporting Goa and assisted Sean Rooney for the first goal and scored the second goal in a match which ended 3–0 in his side's favor. Chhetri scored his 6th goal of the tournament in the final, thus helping them win the 2014–15 Federation Cup. Sunil scored his first goal of the 2014–15 season in the 7th round away to Mohun Bagan from a Eugeneson Lyngdoh cross but couldn't prevent his team from going down 4–1.[77] The CEO of Bengaluru FC, Parth Jindal confirmed that Chhetri along with Robin Singh and Thoi Singh will become contracted to the Indian Super League at the end of the season, to join the ISL team that drafts them in, but an arrangement has been agreed that they will be loaned back to Bengaluru for the next I-League season.[78]

Mumbai City edit

Chhetri was picked up by Mumbai City during the 2015 Indian Super League for ₹1.2 crores, making him the most expensive Indian player at the auctions.[79] He missed his team's first and second round matches in the 2015 Indian Super League season through national team commitments, playing against Turkmenistan and Oman in Group D of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, but returned against Chennaiyin in a 2–0 loss.[80] He scored twice in his second game of the season against Roberto Carlos lead Delhi Dynamos in a 2–0 win, the first for his team in the season[81] before scoring again, from the penalty spot, in the very next game against then table toppers Goa managed by Zico.[82] Chhetri made history, becoming the first Indian player to score a hat-trick, in his fourth game of the season, against NorthEast United and taking his total of the season to 6 goals in 4 games.[83] he was the top scorer for Mumbai City for that season as he poached 7 Goals. fast forward to 2018 he was still the pole position of all-time top scorers for Mumbai City FC. he came back in Mumbai colors for 2015–16 season, the team done well this time as they reached playoffs for first time, but national commitments & less game time with the likes of Diego Forlán & Sony Norde kept him away from score sheet. After two seasons with the islanders, he signed a three-year contract which made him the highest-paid Indian player in 2017.

Return to Bengaluru edit

2015–16 edit

 
Chhetri at a training session for Bengaluru FC in 2021.

Chhetri was loaned out to Bengaluru for the 2015–16 I-League season, where he ended up scoring 5 times in the league, thus helping his team win the league title for the second time in three years. He also scored twice in a round of 16 match against Kitchee in the 2016 AFC Cup, helping his side to an unlikely 2–3 win away from home. This would be the first time Bengaluru had reached the quarter-finals of the tournament.[84]

2016–17 edit

On 9 June 2016, Bengaluru announced that Chhetri had signed a one-year contract at the club, thus reverting his ownership rights to the club from Mumbai City.[85] Chhetri scored twice as Bengaluru won the 2016 AFC Cup semi-final tie by beating Johor Darul Ta'zim in Bengaluru. Chhetri's second goal was a 30-yard strike, where he received the ball from C. K. Vineeth, beat one defender and unleashed a screamer to give Bengaluru the lead.

2017–present edit

He scored 14 goals for the club during the 2017–18 Indian Super League season and became the top Indian scorer of the league. He was also the second top scorer for Bengaluru in the league and won the Hero of the League.[86] In 2018, Chhetri went on to win the Indian Super Cup with Bengaluru FC. With 9 goals, he was the topscorer for Bengaluru during their 2018–19 season in Indian Super League and helped to win the 2018–19 Indian Super League title. Chhetri was Bengaluru's topscorer during their 2019–20 campaign. During the 2020–21 season, he scored eight goals and thus became the topscorer for Bengaluru in three consecutive seasons. On 15 February 2021, Chhetri became the first player to make 200 appearances for Bengaluru FC.[87] He scored his 100th goal for Bengaluru FC in the final league match of the 2020–21 Indian Super League season against Jamshedpur on 25 February 2021.[88] On 20 June, it was announced that Chhetri had signed a two-year contract extension until 2023.[89] He won the 2022 edition of Durand Cup with the team.[90]

On 3 March 2023, Chhetri scored a controversial goal against Kerala Blasters FC in the knockout match of ISL 2022-23 season which led to the Blasters team walking out and the game forfeited in favour of Bengaluru FC. [91]

International career edit

 
Chhetri (right) celebrating with teammates, after winning the 2007 Nehru Cup final against Syria

On 30 March 2004, Chhetri played his first game for the India U-20 football team in the 1–0 victory over Pakistan U-23 team in the 2004 South Asian Games in Pakistan.[92] On 3 April 2004, Chhetri scored twice for the India U-20 team against Bhutan U-23 team in their 4–1 victory.[93] On 12 June 2005 Sunil scored his first goal on his debut for the senior India national football team against Pakistan.[94]

On 15 October 2019, Chhetri became the only Indian to secure a place in the list of top 10 goalscorers in international football.[95]

2007–2011 edit

Chhetri's first international tournament was the 2007 Nehru Cup. In the opening game, India defeated Cambodia 6–0 with Chhetri scoring two goals.[96] He also scored a goal in the 2–3 defeat to Syria[97] and another in the 3–0 win over Kyrgyzstan[98] to take his goal tally to four. Chhetri was involved in the build-up to Pappachen Pradeep's decisive goal as India beat Syria 1–0 in the final to become the first champions of the tournament since 1997.[99] Later in 2007, India began their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. They were knocked out in the first round by Lebanon with Chhetri scoring once in the away leg (a 4–1 defeat)[100] and once in the home leg (a 2–2 draw)[101] resulting in a 6–3 aggregate defeat.[102]

 
Chhetri celebrating after scoring in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup

The 2008 SAFF Championship started with three victories out of a possible three in the group stages. In the opening game, Chhetri scored a goal in a 4–0 victory over Nepal.[103] He scored once more in the championship—in the 2–1 semi-final victory over Bhutan; this was an equaliser before Gouramangi Singh scored India's second goal to send India through to the final.[104] India lost 1–0 to the Maldives in the final and Chhetri played for the full 90 minutes.[105] Later that year, in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, Chhetri played in all of the matches and scored four goals. In the 1–0 win over Afghanistan, he was involved in the build-up to Climax Lawrence's goal.[106] He also played for the full 90 minutes against Tajikistan (a 1–1 draw)[107] and Turkmenistan (a 2–1 win).[108] In the semi-final against Myanmar, Chhetri scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory after being assisted by Bhaichung Bhutia to see India through to the final.[109] In the final against Tajikistan, Chhetri scored a hat-trick which enabled India to win the Cup. This automatically qualified India for the 2011 Asian Cup, the first time they had qualified for the tournament in 24 years.[110] His first goal was originally disallowed for offside by Uzbek referee Valentin Kovalenko, who changed his mind after consulting his assistant.[111] Hundreds of fans waited outside the stadium to greet India's new "poster boy" and India manager Bob Houghton stated, "He is remarkable, brave and honest. He never gives up."[110]

 
Chhetri at the 2011 SAFF Championship.

Initially, Goal.com stated that Chhetri would miss the 2009 Nehru Cup through injury.[112] He played in the tournament, however, and he scored in the second match of the Nehru Cup, a penalty in a 2–1 win over Kyrgyzstan,[113] this being first time he had completed a full match since getting injured before the pre-season tour of Spain with his club.[114] He featured in the other three games in the round robin stage of the tournament, including the "dress rehearsal" for the final against Syria, but did not score.[115][116][117] Chhetri was one of India's scorers in the penalty shootout victory over Syria in the final after the match had ended in a 1–1 draw. He showed flashes of brilliance and scored the second goal in a 5–2 defeat at the hands of Bahrain in the 2011 Asian Cup. He also scored a goal against South Korea at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.[118]

He was named the national team Captain for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification which took place in Malaysia. On 16 November 2011 Chhetri scored in the 39th and 53rd minute for India against Malaysia in a friendly match played at the Salt Lake Stadium. The match ended 3–2 in favour of India.[119] On 11 December 2011 after scoring a goal in SAFF Cup's final he set a new record by scoring seven goals in a single edition of the SAFF Championship surpassing I. M. Vijayan's record of six goals in the 97 edition.[120]

2012–2016 edit

 
Chhetri (no 11) lining up with teammates of the national team in 2012

On 22 August 2012, Chhetri scored a goal with a header in the added time of the first half against Syria in the first match of 2012 Nehru Cup where India won the match 2–1.[121] In the second match, which was on 25 August he scored two goals against Maldives, one goal coming from penalty where the team won 3–0.[122] In the final against fancied opponents Cameroon, Chhetri scored from a well-taken penalty kick to equalize the score at 2–2. In the ensuing penalty shootout which India won 5–4, Chhetri went as the second kick-taker from India and scored.[123]

2017–2021 edit

 
Chhetri (centre) in a 2019 AFC Asian Cup group match against Thailand

On 11 October 2017, Chhetri scored and assisted in a 4–1 home win against Macau in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, with this win they qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup after missing out in 2015.[124] Chhetri captained India to a 13 match unbeaten run before losing the final match to Kyrgyzstan. Nonetheless, not only did India qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup but also managed to top their group. He was among four renowned Asian players including Ali Daei, Sun Jihai and Phil Younghusband to be chosen for the seeds for the upcoming Asian cup.

 
Chhetri (left) at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup

In June 2018, Chhetri scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win over Chinese Taipei in their first match of 2018 Intercontinental Cup.[125] However, after this match, Chhetri was disappointed with the poor turnout at the stadium and he uploaded a video on Twitter requesting people to come to Mumbai Football Arena to support the Indian team. His video went viral and garnered widespread support from fans, celebrities and legendary cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. The stadium was packed with exuberant crowd for the rest of the matches. In the second match of the tournament, which was also Chhetri's 100th international appearance for India and also scored two goals including a goal from penalty spot in a 3–0 victory over Kenya.[126] Chhetri scored a goal in the next match against New Zealand, but the match ended 2–1 loss for India though India qualified for the final.[127] On 10 June, Chhetri scored twice again in a 2–0 win over Kenya in the final to win the Intercontinental Cup title and also equalled Argentina's Lionel Messi's tally of 64 international goals, making him the joint-second active international goalscorer at that time in front of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.[128] He finished as the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals.[129] Chhetri's brace against Thailand on 6 January 2019 helped India to get a historic 4–1 win over them in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.[130] On 7 June 2021, Chhetri scored twice in a 2–0 win over Bangladesh in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[131] On 13 October 2021, he scored twice again in a 3–1 win over Maldives in the 2021 SAFF Championship, making him the joint-sixth all time international goalscorer at that time,[132] and the third highest active international goalscorer in football, behind only to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.[133] On 16 October 2021, he scored again in a 3–0 win over Nepal in the final of the 2021 SAFF Championship, equalling Messi's 80 international goals.[134]

2022–present edit

Due to some injuries after 2021–22 Indian Super League season, Sunil was not able to participate for International friendlies against Bahrain and Belarus which were held in March 2022. Then he made his appearance against Jordan in an international friendly fixture which was played as a part of preparing for 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers which was going to be held in June 2022.

 
Sunil Chhetri scoring freekick against Afghanistan

On 8 June 2022, Chhetri played against Cambodia in 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers where he scored a brace, from a penalty spot and a header from a cross from Brandon Fernandes, by which India won 2–0 in Salt Lake Stadium.[135] In the next match against Afghanistan, he scored from a freekick taking his international goals tally to 83. India won 2–1 in the match. Chhetri scored his 84th goal against Hong Kong in a 4–0 win in the next match.[136][137] India qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup with Chettri becoming the top scorer in the third round of the qualifiers with 4 goals.[138]

On 28 March, Chhetri scored his 85th goal against Kyrgyzstan in the tri-nation friendly and overtook Ferenc Puskás to become the fifth-highest international goalscorer.[139] On 18 June, Chhetri scored the opening goal of a 2–0 win over Lebanon in the final of the 2023 Hero Intercontinental Cup, thus contributing decisively to help India win the tournament.[140] Chhetri was the joint-top scorer of the tournament with two goals alongside fellow teammate Lallianzuala Chhangte.[141] On 21 June, Chhetri scored his 4th hat-trick for India in a 4–0 win over Pakistan in a group stage match of the 2023 SAFF Championship.[142] His third goal of the night was his 90th international goal, thus overtaking Mokhtar Dahari's tally of 89 goals to become the second-highest Asian goalscorer in international football only behind Ali Daei of Iran, and the third among active players after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.[143]

Personal life edit

Sunil Chhetri was born on 3 August 1984 to K. B. Chhetri, an officer in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers of the Indian Army, and Sushila Chhetri in Secunderabad, India.[144][1][145][146] His father played football for the Indian Army football team while his mother and her twin sister played for the Nepal women's national team.[147] He spent most of his childhood in Darjeeling. Chhetri spent his childhood at Pashupati Fatak when he was a student of Bethany School, Darjeeling.[148] He started playing football from a young age taking part in various tournaments.[149] Chhetri speaks five languages fluently: English, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi and Bengali. He can also understand some Konkani, Marathi and Haryanvi.[150]

 
Chhetri being felicitated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, at the beginning of 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in New Delhi.

On 4 December 2017, Chhetri married his long time girlfriend Sonam Bhattacharya who is the daughter of former Indian international and Mohun Bagan player Subrata Bhattacharya.[151][152] Sunil Chhetri was named an 'Asian Icon' by AFC on his 34th birthday in 2018.[153] He signed a 3-year deal with global sports giant Puma starting from 2020.[154]

On 27 September 2022, FIFA launched a documentary on FIFA+, of three episodes named 'Captain Fantastic', which captures a lot of what is unseen and unheard about Chhetri, be it his pre-teen anguish, his debut for India aged 20, his romance with his future wife and his early days and peak as a football player with many awards and records under his belt.[155][156] The 39-year-old footballer welcomed his son Dhruv with his wife Sonam Bhattacharya on 31 August 2023.

In October, Chhetri was roped in as brand ambassador of Acer Inc. India.[157]

Career statistics edit

Club edit

As of match played 26 November 2023
Club Season League Cup[158] Continental[159] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Mohun Bagan 2002–03 National Football League 18 4 — —[160] 10[161] 4[162] 18 8
2003–04 2 3 0 — 18[163] 4[164] 6
2004–05 4 8 3 — 15[165] 7[166] 14
Total 18 10 11 3 — 43 15 72 28
JCT 2005–06 National Football League 79 13 — — — 79 13
2006–07 12 — — — 12
2007–08 I-League 19 — — — 19
Total 79 44 — — — 79 44
East Bengal 2008–09 I-League 17 9 4 2 — 5[167] 2 26 13
Dempo 2009–10 13 8 6 1 — 5[168] 3 24 10
Kansas City Wizards 2010 Major League Soccer 0 0 1 0 — 0 0 1 0
Chirag United 2010–11 I-League 7 7 0 0 — 0 0 7 7
Mohun Bagan 2011–12 14 8 2 1 — 2[169] 0 18 9
Sporting CP B 2012–13 LigaPro 3 0 — — 0 0 3 0
Churchill Brothers (loan) 2012–13 I-League 8 4 0 0 5 2 4[170] 2 17 8
Bengaluru 2013–14 23 14 3 1 — 0 0 26 15
2014–15 20 2 6 6 6 3 0 0 32 11
Total 43 16 9 7 6 3 0 0 58 26
Mumbai City 2015 Indian Super League 11 7 — — 0 0 11 7
Bengaluru (loan) 2015–16 I-League 14 5 2 1 4 3 0 0 20 9
Mumbai City 2016 Indian Super League 6 0 — — 0 0 6 0
Bengaluru 2016–17 I-League 16 7 3 0 11 5 0 0 30 12
2017–18 Indian Super League 21 14 4 6 8 4 0 0 33 24
2018–19 19 9 1 1 2 0 0 0 22 10
2019–20 17 9 — 2 2 — 19 11
2020–21 20 8 — 1 1 — 21 9
2021–22 20 4 — 3 0 — 23 4
2022–23 21 5 12 5 0 0 0 0 33 10
2023–24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 3
Total 137 58 20 12 27 12 0 0 184 82
Career total 370 176 38 23 42 20 5 2 455 221

International edit

Main article: List of international goals scored by Sunil Chhetri
As of match played 16 November 2023
Appearances and goals by year[171]
Year Apps Goals
2005 5 1
2006 1 0
2007 7 6
2008 12 8
2009 6 1
2010 6 3
2011 18 13
2012 8 4
2013 11 5
2014 2 3
2015 12 6
2016 4 2
2017 6 5
2018 6 8
2019 11 7
2020 0 0
2021 10 8
2022 6 4
2023 14 9
Total 145 93

Honours edit

Dempo

Churchill Brothers

Bengaluru

India[172]

India U-20

Individual

 
Pratibha Patil, then-president of India, presenting the Arjuna Award to Chhetri in 2011.

Other

  • Leading up to the 2022 World Cup, FIFA honoured Chhetri on the occasion by releasing three documentary episodes about his life and career for becoming the third-highest male international goal scorer in the world among active players.[179][180][181]
  • AFC Asian Icon: 3 August 2018
  • 2019 AFC Asian Cup: Favourite Player (voted by fans)
  • AFC Cup All-time XI (The Strikers): Inductee (2021)[182][183]

Awards and accolades

 
Ramnath Kovind, then-president of India, presenting the Khel Ratna Award to Chhetri in 2021.

Records [190]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Appearances as an overage player (four appearances and two goals in 2022 Asian Games)

References edit

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  158. ^ Includes Federation Cup, Durand Cup, U.S. Open Cup & Super Cup
  159. ^ Includes AFC Cup, AFC Champions League
  160. ^ Mohun Bagan participated in 2002-03 AFC Champions League but Chhetri's stats are unknown
  161. ^ Includes 9 Appearances in Calcutta Football League and 1 in All Airlines Gold Cup
  162. ^ 3 Goals in Calcutta Football League and 1 Goal in All Airlines Gold Cup
  163. ^ Includes 10 Appearances in Calcutta Football League, 4 in All Airlines Gold Cup and 4 in IFA Shield
  164. ^ 3 Goals in Calcutta Football League and 1 Goal in All Airlines Gold Cup
  165. ^ 12 Appearances in Calcutta Football League, 3 Appearances in IFA Shield
  166. ^ 6 Goals in Calcutta Football League, 1 Goal in IFA Shield
  167. ^ Includes Calcutta Football League
  168. ^ Appearances in Goa Professional League
  169. ^ Appearances in Calcutta Football League
  170. ^ Appearances in Goa Professional League
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  187. ^ Kumar, Coreena Suares, Suresh Kavirayani and K. Kalyan Krishna (26 January 2019). "Three persons from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Sunil Chhetri get Padma Shri awards". Deccan Chronicle. from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  188. ^ "Sunil Chhetri, football's first Khel Ratna awardee, says it has been a dream journey | Football News - Times of India". The Times of India. 3 November 2021. from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  189. ^ "National Sports Awards 2021: Neeraj Chopra, Lovlina Borgohain, Mithali Raj Among 9 Others to Get Khel Ratna". News18. 2 November 2021. from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  190. ^ Banerjee, Ritabrata. Indian football: 10 records held by Sunil Chhetri in international and club football 19 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Goal.com.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sunil Chhetri.
  • – FIFA competition record (archived)  
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  • Sunil Chhetri at FootballDatabase.eu  
  • Sunil Chhetri on Twitter  
  • Sunil Chhetri at ESPN FC  
  • Sunil Chhetri at WorldFootball.net  
  • Sunil Chhetri at Major League Soccer  
  • Sunil Chhetri on Facebook
  • Sunil Chhetri at Indian Super League

December 07, 2023
sunil, chhetri, born, august, 1984, indian, professional, footballer, plays, forward, captains, both, indian, super, league, club, bengaluru, india, national, team, known, link, play, goal, scoring, abilities, leadership, third, highest, international, goalsco. Sunil Chhetri born 3 August 1984 is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC and the India national team He is known for his link up play goal scoring abilities and leadership 3 4 He is the third highest international goalscorer among active players behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi 5 6 fourth overall and is also the most capped player and the all time top goalscorer of the India national team He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian footballers of all time for his contributions for the country 7 8 9 Sunil ChhetriPersonal informationFull nameSunil ChhetriDate of birth 1984 08 03 3 August 1984 age 39 1 Place of birthSecunderabad Andhra Pradesh India present day Telangana 1 Height1 70 m 5 ft 7 in 1 Position s ForwardTeam informationCurrent teamBengaluruNumber11Youth career2001 2002City Club Delhi 2 Senior career YearsTeamApps Gls 2002 2005Mohun Bagan18 8 2005 2008JCT79 44 2008 2009East Bengal17 9 2009 2010Dempo13 8 2010Kansas City Wizards1 0 2011Chirag United7 7 2011 2012Mohun Bagan14 8 2012 2013Sporting CP B3 0 2013 Churchill Brothers loan 8 4 2013 2015Bengaluru43 16 2015 2016Mumbai City17 7 2016 Bengaluru loan 14 5 2016 Bengaluru138 59 International career 2004India U203 2 2006 2023India U236 a 2 2005 India145 93 Medal record Men s footballRepresenting IndiaSAFF ChampionshipWinner 2011 IndiaWinner 2015 IndiaWinner 2021 MaldivesWinner 2023 IndiaRunner up 2008 Maldives amp Sri LankaRunner up 2013 NepalAFC Challenge CupWinner 2008 IndiaSouth Asian Games2004 Pakistan Team Club domestic league appearances and goals correct as of 17 00 31 October 2023 UTC National team caps and goals correct as of 18 11 13 October 2023 UTC 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 Contents 1 Club career 1 1 Mohun Bagan 1 2 JCT 1 2 1 Interest abroad 1 3 East Bengal 1 4 Dempo 1 4 1 More foreign interest 1 5 Kansas City 1 6 Chirag United 1 7 Mohun Bagan 1 8 Sporting CP B 1 8 1 Loan to Churchill Brothers 1 9 Bengaluru 1 9 1 2013 14 1 9 2 2014 15 1 10 Mumbai City 1 11 Return to Bengaluru 1 11 1 2015 16 1 11 2 2016 17 1 11 3 2017 present 2 International career 2 1 2007 2011 2 2 2012 2016 2 3 2017 2021 2 4 2022 present 3 Personal life 4 Career statistics 4 1 Club 4 2 International 5 Honours 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksClub career editMohun Bagan edit Chhetri began his professional football journey with Mohun Bagan of the National Football League after playing with City Football Club of New Delhi 12 After his first season with the club the 2002 03 season Chhetri had scored four goals 21 as Mohun Bagan finished in seventh place in the table 22 The next season Chhetri scored only two goals The first came against Sporting Goa while the second came against Indian Bank as Mohun Bagan once again finished in the bottom half of the table in ninth place 23 In 2004 05 season He scored a hattrick against Tollygunge Agragami where he came as a substitute in a 4 0 win 24 this time Mohun Bagan finished eighth in the league and remained in the National Football League on goal difference 25 JCT edit In 2005 Chhetri signed for JCT for the 2005 06 season 12 During that season Chhetri scored three goals He scored twice against Salgaocar before the third came against Sporting Goa as JCT finished the season that year in sixth place 26 Meanwhile in the Santosh Trophy Chhetri scored two hat tricks for Delhi in the group stages of the 61st Santosh Trophy against both Orissa and Railways 27 However despite Chhetri s best efforts Delhi were eliminated in the pre quarter final round after losing 1 0 to Tamil Nadu in extra time 27 Then during the 2006 07 season Chhetri scored a total of twelve goals in the league for JCT as the club finished in second place behind Dempo 28 Among his best games during that season were the matches against his former club Mohun Bagan and Dempo in which he scored braces in both matches as JCT won both games 2 0 and 3 2 respectively 29 30 Then during the very first season of the I League Chhetri scored seven goals as JCT finished the season in third place 31 His only brace that season came against Salgaocar during the final match of the season 32 Midway through that season though in December 2007 Chhetri was awarded the AIFF Player of the Year award for 2007 for his excellent form and performances for his club and country 18 Interest abroad edit Of course I would love to play in Europe like David Villa and it all depends where I get an offer from England would certainly be fine and I have had talks but the stumbling blocks are the work permit restrictions Sunil Chhetri stating his desire to move abroad to play alongside Spanish striker David Villa 33 In October 2008 it was rumored that Chhetri had sparked interest from foreign clubs These clubs were Leeds United of the Football League One and Estoril Praia of the Liga de Honra the second division of Portugal 34 During an interview Chhetri said that Nothing has been confirmed as yet but yes I think I am close to getting there indicating that there was a chance of him signing in England 35 However in the end a move never materialized East Bengal edit Before the 2008 09 season began Chhetri signed with fellow I League side East Bengal 12 He scored on his debut for East Bengal against Chirag United on 26 September 2008 in which he scored in the 28th minute as East Bengal won the match 3 1 36 37 Chhetri then went on to score a crucial goal for East Bengal during the Federation Cup in which he scored the only goal against his former club JCT which led to East Bengal booking a place in the semi finals 38 During the semi final match East Bengal took on arch rivals and another of Sunil s former clubs Mohun Bagan in which he missed the decisive penalty in the penalty shootout as East Bengal were officially knocked out of the tournament 39 Midway through the season though reports came out suggesting that two Major League Soccer teams were interesting in Chhetri along with his international teammate Steven Dias 40 These two MLS sides were rumored to be the Los Angeles Galaxy and D C United However on 25 January 2009 Chhetri arrived in Coventry England to begin a trial at Coventry City of the Football League Championship thus rejecting MLS 41 Four days later though Coventry City manager Chris Coleman said that they would not be following their interest in Chhetri 42 Four months later though Chhetri said that he would go back to Coventry City in June 2009 for another extended trial 43 That never materialized however Dempo edit Upon being released by East Bengal Chhetri signed a two year contract with another fellow I League side Dempo on 22 May 2009 44 In his contract was a clause which allowed him to leave for trials abroad in the future if he wanted to 44 More foreign interest edit On 7 August 2009 it was reported that Scottish Premier League side Celtic were linked with a move to sign Chhetri 45 The Scottish club had watched Chhetri during a pre season friendly with Santboia a Segunda Division B side in a pre season fixture 45 Yogesh Joshee Chhetri s agent was quoted as saying I m waiting to get feedback from Celtic who saw him on Monday by head scout and then another scout came to watch game I ll let you know the outcome when I know 45 Then on 30 August 2009 it was announced by the Hindustan Times that Chhetri had signed a three year contract with English Football League Championship side Queens Park Rangers but that he was denied a work permit by the British government 46 According to an article on the Football Players Association of India s official website Chhetri was denied a work permit because India were not in the top 70 of the FIFA World Rankings Chhetri however remained positive But it s not the end of the world I will still continue to work hard for my country and my club Dempo who have been very supportive 46 Kansas City edit In March 2010 it was announced that Chhetri was on trial with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer and that he had played during their pre season games 47 He then formally signed for the team on 24 March 2010 becoming just the third Indian to play outside of South Asia and the first Indian to play in MLS 14 Peter Vermes the head coach of the Wizards was quoted as saying One thing we really like about Sunil is that he s a crafty player Technically he s very sharp and he s a guy that has good attacking tendencies 14 On 4 April 2010 he scored a hat trick in Kansas City Wizards reserves 5 0 victory over Evansville 48 On 14 April 2010 Chhetri made his debut for the Wizards in a U S Open Cup qualification play in game against the Colorado Rapids He started but earned a yellow card and was substituted out of the game at half time Kansas City lost the match 1 2 49 On 23 July 2010 it was announced that Chhetri would play in a mid season friendly against Manchester United 50 The decision was criticised as a public relations exercise rather than one made on merit as he had not yet played a league match 51 On 25 July 2010 Chhetri made an appearance for the Wizards against Manchester United coming on as a substitute for Teal Bunbury in the 69th minute as Kansas City won the match 2 1 52 The next day it was announced that Chhetri was to compete for the India national team until the end of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup 53 The Wizards who had been renamed Sporting Kansas City announced on 5 February 2011 that Chhetri had officially left the team 54 Chirag United edit On 10 February 2011 it was announced that Chirag United had beaten United Sikkim to the signing of Sunil Chhetri for the rest of the 2010 11 I League season 55 On 3 April 2011 Chhetri scored his first goal for Chirag United against Dempo however Dempo won the match 4 2 56 Chhetri then scored a brace on 29 April 2011 against ONGC to help salvage a 2 2 draw for Chirag 57 Mohun Bagan edit On 22 July 2011 it was announced by I League club Mohun Bagan that Chhetri has rejoined the club and signed a one year deal 58 He made his debut on 23 October 2011 in 2011 12 I League opening game against Pailan Arrows where he started the game in a 3 1 victory 59 On 6 November he scored his first goals when he struck twice in a thumping 5 1 win over Mumbai FC 60 Sporting CP B edit On 4 July 2012 it was reported that Chhetri had signed a two year contract with Sporting CP and would play in their reserve team 61 Then he made his debut for the side in a Segunda Liga match against Freamunde in which he came on in the 85th minute as Sporting CP B won the match 2 0 62 Loan to Churchill Brothers edit On 13 February 2013 it was announced that in order to get more playing time Chhetri would be loaned out to Churchill Brothers in the I League for the remainder of the season 63 He made his debut for Churchill Brothers on 21 February 2013 against Dempo in the first game of 2012 13 Goa Professional League season championship round in which Chhetri started and scored a brace in a 2 0 win 64 He made his continental debut on 26 February 2013 against Kitchee in the 2013 AFC Cup in which Chhetri started as Churchill Brothers lost 0 3 65 He then scored his first goal for Churchill Brothers in their next match against Semen Padang on 12 March 2013 in which he started and scored in the 27th minute as Churchill Brothers drew the match 2 2 66 After the season ended Chhetri had scored four goals in eight league matches as he helped Churchill Brothers to their second ever I League title 67 Bengaluru edit 2013 14 edit On 19 July 2013 following his release from Sporting CP Chhetri signed with new direct entry I League side Bengaluru for the 2013 14 season 68 He made his debut for the club in their opening game on 22 September 2013 against Mohun Bagan in which he came on as a 46th minute substitute for Beikhokhei Beingaichho as Bengaluru managed a 1 1 draw 69 Chhetri then scored his first goal for the side in the next game against Rangdajied United in which he found the net in the 67th minute as Bengaluru won 3 0 70 He did not score again for Bengaluru till November when on the 2nd against Mumbai Chhetri scored from the penalty spot in the 57th minute to help Bengaluru FC to a 2 2 draw 71 He then scored his first brace of the season against on 1 December 2013 against Shillong Lajong in which his 7th and 34th minute strikes helped the team to a 2 1 victory 72 Then in the next match against former club Churchill Brothers Chhetri scored another brace as he led Bengaluru FC to a 3 1 victory 73 He then scored his third brace in a row in the very next match against Mohammedan as he led Bengaluru FC to a 3 2 win in Kolkata 74 Chhetri then finished off an impressive first half of the season for Bengaluru with a goal from the penalty spot against Salgaocar his ninth of the season as he led the Bangalore side to a 2 1 victory 75 He then scored another goal in the teams very first Federation Cup match against Sporting Goa as Bengaluru FC won 5 3 on 15 January 2014 76 With 14 goals and 7 assist in 23 appearances in the season Chhetri led Bengaluru FC to their first ever I League title in its debut season 2014 15 edit Chhetri began the season in the 2014 Durand Cup playing and scoring three times but missed the penalty in the shoot out in the semi final against Salgaocar which turned out to be the decisive penalty miss as Bengaluru crashed out Chhetri scored a brace in his side s first match of 2014 15 Federation Cup against Salgaocar in a match which eventually ended 3 2 in his side s favor Chhetri scored another brace in the last group stage match of the cup against Pune scoring one from open play and one from the penalty spot and thus leading his side to the semi final He kept up his form in the semi final against Sporting Goa and assisted Sean Rooney for the first goal and scored the second goal in a match which ended 3 0 in his side s favor Chhetri scored his 6th goal of the tournament in the final thus helping them win the 2014 15 Federation Cup Sunil scored his first goal of the 2014 15 season in the 7th round away to Mohun Bagan from a Eugeneson Lyngdoh cross but couldn t prevent his team from going down 4 1 77 The CEO of Bengaluru FC Parth Jindal confirmed that Chhetri along with Robin Singh and Thoi Singh will become contracted to the Indian Super League at the end of the season to join the ISL team that drafts them in but an arrangement has been agreed that they will be loaned back to Bengaluru for the next I League season 78 Mumbai City edit Chhetri was picked up by Mumbai City during the 2015 Indian Super League for 1 2 crores making him the most expensive Indian player at the auctions 79 He missed his team s first and second round matches in the 2015 Indian Super League season through national team commitments playing against Turkmenistan and Oman in Group D of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers but returned against Chennaiyin in a 2 0 loss 80 He scored twice in his second game of the season against Roberto Carlos lead Delhi Dynamos in a 2 0 win the first for his team in the season 81 before scoring again from the penalty spot in the very next game against then table toppers Goa managed by Zico 82 Chhetri made history becoming the first Indian player to score a hat trick in his fourth game of the season against NorthEast United and taking his total of the season to 6 goals in 4 games 83 he was the top scorer for Mumbai City for that season as he poached 7 Goals fast forward to 2018 he was still the pole position of all time top scorers for Mumbai City FC he came back in Mumbai colors for 2015 16 season the team done well this time as they reached playoffs for first time but national commitments amp less game time with the likes of Diego Forlan amp Sony Norde kept him away from score sheet After two seasons with the islanders he signed a three year contract which made him the highest paid Indian player in 2017 Return to Bengaluru edit 2015 16 edit nbsp Chhetri at a training session for Bengaluru FC in 2021 Chhetri was loaned out to Bengaluru for the 2015 16 I League season where he ended up scoring 5 times in the league thus helping his team win the league title for the second time in three years He also scored twice in a round of 16 match against Kitchee in the 2016 AFC Cup helping his side to an unlikely 2 3 win away from home This would be the first time Bengaluru had reached the quarter finals of the tournament 84 2016 17 edit On 9 June 2016 Bengaluru announced that Chhetri had signed a one year contract at the club thus reverting his ownership rights to the club from Mumbai City 85 Chhetri scored twice as Bengaluru won the 2016 AFC Cup semi final tie by beating Johor Darul Ta zim in Bengaluru Chhetri s second goal was a 30 yard strike where he received the ball from C K Vineeth beat one defender and unleashed a screamer to give Bengaluru the lead 2017 present edit He scored 14 goals for the club during the 2017 18 Indian Super League season and became the top Indian scorer of the league He was also the second top scorer for Bengaluru in the league and won the Hero of the League 86 In 2018 Chhetri went on to win the Indian Super Cup with Bengaluru FC With 9 goals he was the topscorer for Bengaluru during their 2018 19 season in Indian Super League and helped to win the 2018 19 Indian Super League title Chhetri was Bengaluru s topscorer during their 2019 20 campaign During the 2020 21 season he scored eight goals and thus became the topscorer for Bengaluru in three consecutive seasons On 15 February 2021 Chhetri became the first player to make 200 appearances for Bengaluru FC 87 He scored his 100th goal for Bengaluru FC in the final league match of the 2020 21 Indian Super League season against Jamshedpur on 25 February 2021 88 On 20 June it was announced that Chhetri had signed a two year contract extension until 2023 89 He won the 2022 edition of Durand Cup with the team 90 On 3 March 2023 Chhetri scored a controversial goal against Kerala Blasters FC in the knockout match of ISL 2022 23 season which led to the Blasters team walking out and the game forfeited in favour of Bengaluru FC 91 International career edit nbsp Chhetri right celebrating with teammates after winning the 2007 Nehru Cup final against SyriaOn 30 March 2004 Chhetri played his first game for the India U 20 football team in the 1 0 victory over Pakistan U 23 team in the 2004 South Asian Games in Pakistan 92 On 3 April 2004 Chhetri scored twice for the India U 20 team against Bhutan U 23 team in their 4 1 victory 93 On 12 June 2005 Sunil scored his first goal on his debut for the senior India national football team against Pakistan 94 On 15 October 2019 Chhetri became the only Indian to secure a place in the list of top 10 goalscorers in international football 95 2007 2011 edit Chhetri s first international tournament was the 2007 Nehru Cup In the opening game India defeated Cambodia 6 0 with Chhetri scoring two goals 96 He also scored a goal in the 2 3 defeat to Syria 97 and another in the 3 0 win over Kyrgyzstan 98 to take his goal tally to four Chhetri was involved in the build up to Pappachen Pradeep s decisive goal as India beat Syria 1 0 in the final to become the first champions of the tournament since 1997 99 Later in 2007 India began their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign They were knocked out in the first round by Lebanon with Chhetri scoring once in the away leg a 4 1 defeat 100 and once in the home leg a 2 2 draw 101 resulting in a 6 3 aggregate defeat 102 nbsp Chhetri celebrating after scoring in the 2008 AFC Challenge CupThe 2008 SAFF Championship started with three victories out of a possible three in the group stages In the opening game Chhetri scored a goal in a 4 0 victory over Nepal 103 He scored once more in the championship in the 2 1 semi final victory over Bhutan this was an equaliser before Gouramangi Singh scored India s second goal to send India through to the final 104 India lost 1 0 to the Maldives in the final and Chhetri played for the full 90 minutes 105 Later that year in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup Chhetri played in all of the matches and scored four goals In the 1 0 win over Afghanistan he was involved in the build up to Climax Lawrence s goal 106 He also played for the full 90 minutes against Tajikistan a 1 1 draw 107 and Turkmenistan a 2 1 win 108 In the semi final against Myanmar Chhetri scored the only goal in a 1 0 victory after being assisted by Bhaichung Bhutia to see India through to the final 109 In the final against Tajikistan Chhetri scored a hat trick which enabled India to win the Cup This automatically qualified India for the 2011 Asian Cup the first time they had qualified for the tournament in 24 years 110 His first goal was originally disallowed for offside by Uzbek referee Valentin Kovalenko who changed his mind after consulting his assistant 111 Hundreds of fans waited outside the stadium to greet India s new poster boy and India manager Bob Houghton stated He is remarkable brave and honest He never gives up 110 nbsp Chhetri at the 2011 SAFF Championship Initially Goal com stated that Chhetri would miss the 2009 Nehru Cup through injury 112 He played in the tournament however and he scored in the second match of the Nehru Cup a penalty in a 2 1 win over Kyrgyzstan 113 this being first time he had completed a full match since getting injured before the pre season tour of Spain with his club 114 He featured in the other three games in the round robin stage of the tournament including the dress rehearsal for the final against Syria but did not score 115 116 117 Chhetri was one of India s scorers in the penalty shootout victory over Syria in the final after the match had ended in a 1 1 draw He showed flashes of brilliance and scored the second goal in a 5 2 defeat at the hands of Bahrain in the 2011 Asian Cup He also scored a goal against South Korea at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup 118 He was named the national team Captain for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification which took place in Malaysia On 16 November 2011 Chhetri scored in the 39th and 53rd minute for India against Malaysia in a friendly match played at the Salt Lake Stadium The match ended 3 2 in favour of India 119 On 11 December 2011 after scoring a goal in SAFF Cup s final he set a new record by scoring seven goals in a single edition of the SAFF Championship surpassing I M Vijayan s record of six goals in the 97 edition 120 2012 2016 edit nbsp Chhetri no 11 lining up with teammates of the national team in 2012On 22 August 2012 Chhetri scored a goal with a header in the added time of the first half against Syria in the first match of 2012 Nehru Cup where India won the match 2 1 121 In the second match which was on 25 August he scored two goals against Maldives one goal coming from penalty where the team won 3 0 122 In the final against fancied opponents Cameroon Chhetri scored from a well taken penalty kick to equalize the score at 2 2 In the ensuing penalty shootout which India won 5 4 Chhetri went as the second kick taker from India and scored 123 2017 2021 edit nbsp Chhetri centre in a 2019 AFC Asian Cup group match against ThailandOn 11 October 2017 Chhetri scored and assisted in a 4 1 home win against Macau in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers with this win they qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup after missing out in 2015 124 Chhetri captained India to a 13 match unbeaten run before losing the final match to Kyrgyzstan Nonetheless not only did India qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup but also managed to top their group He was among four renowned Asian players including Ali Daei Sun Jihai and Phil Younghusband to be chosen for the seeds for the upcoming Asian cup nbsp Chhetri left at the 2019 AFC Asian CupIn June 2018 Chhetri scored a hat trick in a 5 0 win over Chinese Taipei in their first match of 2018 Intercontinental Cup 125 However after this match Chhetri was disappointed with the poor turnout at the stadium and he uploaded a video on Twitter requesting people to come to Mumbai Football Arena to support the Indian team His video went viral and garnered widespread support from fans celebrities and legendary cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli The stadium was packed with exuberant crowd for the rest of the matches In the second match of the tournament which was also Chhetri s 100th international appearance for India and also scored two goals including a goal from penalty spot in a 3 0 victory over Kenya 126 Chhetri scored a goal in the next match against New Zealand but the match ended 2 1 loss for India though India qualified for the final 127 On 10 June Chhetri scored twice again in a 2 0 win over Kenya in the final to win the Intercontinental Cup title and also equalled Argentina s Lionel Messi s tally of 64 international goals making him the joint second active international goalscorer at that time in front of Portugal s Cristiano Ronaldo 128 He finished as the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals 129 Chhetri s brace against Thailand on 6 January 2019 helped India to get a historic 4 1 win over them in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup 130 On 7 June 2021 Chhetri scored twice in a 2 0 win over Bangladesh in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification 131 On 13 October 2021 he scored twice again in a 3 1 win over Maldives in the 2021 SAFF Championship making him the joint sixth all time international goalscorer at that time 132 and the third highest active international goalscorer in football behind only to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo 133 On 16 October 2021 he scored again in a 3 0 win over Nepal in the final of the 2021 SAFF Championship equalling Messi s 80 international goals 134 2022 present editDue to some injuries after 2021 22 Indian Super League season Sunil was not able to participate for International friendlies against Bahrain and Belarus which were held in March 2022 Then he made his appearance against Jordan in an international friendly fixture which was played as a part of preparing for 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers which was going to be held in June 2022 nbsp Sunil Chhetri scoring freekick against AfghanistanOn 8 June 2022 Chhetri played against Cambodia in 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers where he scored a brace from a penalty spot and a header from a cross from Brandon Fernandes by which India won 2 0 in Salt Lake Stadium 135 In the next match against Afghanistan he scored from a freekick taking his international goals tally to 83 India won 2 1 in the match Chhetri scored his 84th goal against Hong Kong in a 4 0 win in the next match 136 137 India qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup with Chettri becoming the top scorer in the third round of the qualifiers with 4 goals 138 On 28 March Chhetri scored his 85th goal against Kyrgyzstan in the tri nation friendly and overtook Ferenc Puskas to become the fifth highest international goalscorer 139 On 18 June Chhetri scored the opening goal of a 2 0 win over Lebanon in the final of the 2023 Hero Intercontinental Cup thus contributing decisively to help India win the tournament 140 Chhetri was the joint top scorer of the tournament with two goals alongside fellow teammate Lallianzuala Chhangte 141 On 21 June Chhetri scored his 4th hat trick for India in a 4 0 win over Pakistan in a group stage match of the 2023 SAFF Championship 142 His third goal of the night was his 90th international goal thus overtaking Mokhtar Dahari s tally of 89 goals to become the second highest Asian goalscorer in international football only behind Ali Daei of Iran and the third among active players after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo 143 Personal life editSunil Chhetri was born on 3 August 1984 to K B Chhetri an officer in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers of the Indian Army and Sushila Chhetri in Secunderabad India 144 1 145 146 His father played football for the Indian Army football team while his mother and her twin sister played for the Nepal women s national team 147 He spent most of his childhood in Darjeeling Chhetri spent his childhood at Pashupati Fatak when he was a student of Bethany School Darjeeling 148 He started playing football from a young age taking part in various tournaments 149 Chhetri speaks five languages fluently English Hindi Nepali Punjabi and Bengali He can also understand some Konkani Marathi and Haryanvi 150 nbsp Chhetri being felicitated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the beginning of 2017 FIFA U 17 World Cup in New Delhi On 4 December 2017 Chhetri married his long time girlfriend Sonam Bhattacharya who is the daughter of former Indian international and Mohun Bagan player Subrata Bhattacharya 151 152 Sunil Chhetri was named an Asian Icon by AFC on his 34th birthday in 2018 153 He signed a 3 year deal with global sports giant Puma starting from 2020 154 On 27 September 2022 FIFA launched a documentary on FIFA of three episodes named Captain Fantastic which captures a lot of what is unseen and unheard about Chhetri be it his pre teen anguish his debut for India aged 20 his romance with his future wife and his early days and peak as a football player with many awards and records under his belt 155 156 The 39 year old footballer welcomed his son Dhruv with his wife Sonam Bhattacharya on 31 August 2023 In October Chhetri was roped in as brand ambassador of Acer Inc India 157 Career statistics editClub edit As of match played 26 November 2023Club Season League Cup 158 Continental 159 Other TotalDivision Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GoalsMohun Bagan 2002 03 National Football League 18 4 160 10 161 4 162 18 82003 04 2 3 0 18 163 4 164 62004 05 4 8 3 15 165 7 166 14Total 18 10 11 3 43 15 72 28JCT 2005 06 National Football League 79 13 79 132006 07 12 122007 08 I League 19 19Total 79 44 79 44East Bengal 2008 09 I League 17 9 4 2 5 167 2 26 13Dempo 2009 10 13 8 6 1 5 168 3 24 10Kansas City Wizards 2010 Major League Soccer 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0Chirag United 2010 11 I League 7 7 0 0 0 0 7 7Mohun Bagan 2011 12 14 8 2 1 2 169 0 18 9Sporting CP B 2012 13 LigaPro 3 0 0 0 3 0Churchill Brothers loan 2012 13 I League 8 4 0 0 5 2 4 170 2 17 8Bengaluru 2013 14 23 14 3 1 0 0 26 152014 15 20 2 6 6 6 3 0 0 32 11Total 43 16 9 7 6 3 0 0 58 26Mumbai City 2015 Indian Super League 11 7 0 0 11 7Bengaluru loan 2015 16 I League 14 5 2 1 4 3 0 0 20 9Mumbai City 2016 Indian Super League 6 0 0 0 6 0Bengaluru 2016 17 I League 16 7 3 0 11 5 0 0 30 122017 18 Indian Super League 21 14 4 6 8 4 0 0 33 242018 19 19 9 1 1 2 0 0 0 22 102019 20 17 9 2 2 19 112020 21 20 8 1 1 21 92021 22 20 4 3 0 23 42022 23 21 5 12 5 0 0 0 0 33 102023 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 3Total 137 58 20 12 27 12 0 0 184 82Career total 370 176 38 23 42 20 5 2 455 221International edit Main article List of international goals scored by Sunil Chhetri As of match played 16 November 2023Appearances and goals by year 171 Year Apps Goals2005 5 12006 1 02007 7 62008 12 82009 6 12010 6 32011 18 132012 8 42013 11 52014 2 32015 12 62016 4 22017 6 52018 6 82019 11 72020 0 02021 10 82022 6 42023 14 9Total 145 93Honours editDempo I League 2009 10Churchill Brothers I League 2012 13Bengaluru AFC Cup 2016 Runners Up Indian Super League 2018 19 I League 2013 14 2015 16 Federation Cup 2014 15 2016 17 Super Cup 2018 Durand Cup 2022India 172 AFC Challenge Cup 2008 SAFF Championship 2011 2015 2021 2023 Nehru Cup 2007 2009 2012 Intercontinental Cup 2018 2023 Tri Nation Series 2023India U 20 South Asian Games Silver medal 2004Individual nbsp Pratibha Patil then president of India presenting the Arjuna Award to Chhetri in 2011 AIFF Player of the Year 7 2007 2011 2013 2014 2017 2018 19 173 2021 22 174 FPAI Indian Player of the Year 3 2009 2018 2019 SAFF Championship Player of the Tournament 4 2011 2015 2021 2023 SAFF Championship Top Scorer 3 2011 2021 2023 Hero of the Intercontinental Cup 2018 Hero of the I League 2016 17 175 176 I League Golden Boot 2013 14 Hero of the Indian Super League 2017 18 2018 Indian Super Cup Golden Boot Indian Sports Honours Sportsman of the Year 2019 team sports Football Ratna Award first recipient by Football Delhi 18 February 2019 177 The Times of India TOISA Best Footballer 2021 178 Other Leading up to the 2022 World Cup FIFA honoured Chhetri on the occasion by releasing three documentary episodes about his life and career for becoming the third highest male international goal scorer in the world among active players 179 180 181 AFC Asian Icon 3 August 2018 2019 AFC Asian Cup Favourite Player voted by fans AFC Cup All time XI The Strikers Inductee 2021 182 183 Awards and accolades nbsp Ramnath Kovind then president of India presenting the Khel Ratna Award to Chhetri in 2021 2011 Arjuna Award by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in sports 184 185 186 2019 nbsp Padma Shri India s fourth highest civilian award 187 2021 Khel Ratna Award highest sporting honour of India 188 189 Records 190 First Indian player to have played in three different continents Most appearances for India 145 Most international goals by an Indian 93 Most hat tricks for India 4 Most goals for India in AFC Competitions 19 All time top goal scorer in SAFF Championship 23 Most number of matches played by an Indian in AFC Cup 40 Most number of goals scored by an Indian in AFC Cup 19 Most goals by an Indian in first tier Indian football leagues 143 First Indian player to score hat trick in Indian Super League Most hat tricks by an Indian in Indian Super League 2 Top Indian goal scorer in Indian Super League 56 Top Indian goal scorer in I League 94 All time top goal scorer in the Super Cup 9 Most number of matches played for Bengaluru 259 Most number of goals scored for Bengaluru 115 First footballer to receive Khel Ratna Award AIFF Player of the Year for a record seven timesSee also edit nbsp Biography portal nbsp Association football portal nbsp India portalList of India international footballers List of India national football team captains List of top international men s football goal scorers by country List of men s footballers with 100 or more international caps List of men s footballers with 50 or more international goals List of India national football team hat tricks List of Indian football first tier top scorers List of Indian expatriate footballers FPAI Indian Player of the Year AIFF Player of the YearNotes edit Appearances as an overage player four appearances and two goals in 2022 Asian Games References edit a b c d Sunil Chhetri Soccerway Archived from the original on 10 September 2013 Retrieved 21 August 2013 Chaudhuri Arunava Season ending Transfers 2002 India indianfootball de Indian Football Network Archived from the original on 17 February 2020 Retrieved 1 July 2021 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 SportMob Best Indian football players of all time SportMob 12 May 2021 Archived from the original on 9 August 2022 Retrieved 28 January 2022 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 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 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 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 We re upbeat Sunil The Telegraph 3 November 2016 Archived from the original on 18 November 2016 Retrieved 18 November 2016 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 The Rs 1 crore boys The Telegraph 15 April 2016 Archived from the original on 17 October 2016 Retrieved 29 November 2016 a b c d Strack Zimmermann Benjamin NFT player National team amp Club appearances Chhetri Sunil national football teams com National Football Teams Archived from the original on 25 September 2022 Retrieved 18 May 2018 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 a b c Wiebe Andrew Wizards sign Indian forward Chhetri Major League Soccer Archived from the original on 3 November 2013 Retrieved 21 August 2013 Sunil Chhetri joins Sporting Clube de Portugal B side IBN Live 21 August 2013 Archived from the original on 23 October 2014 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 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 a b Sunil Chhetri named 2014 AIFF Player of the Year The Times of India 27 December 2014 Archived from the original on 29 December 2014 Sunil Chhetri named AIFF Player of Year for sixth time timesofindia indiatimes com TOI Archived from the original on 22 July 2019 Retrieved 10 July 2019 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 7th National Football League Leading Goal Scorers Rediff 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JCT crush Salgaocar finish third Tribune India Archived from the original on 12 August 2009 Retrieved 3 July 2009 Duerden John 9 October 2008 Sunil Chhetri s Indian Diary Goal com Archived from the original on 13 August 2009 Retrieved 1 July 2009 Report says Leeds keen on Chhetri Telegraph India Calcutta India 12 October 2008 Archived from the original on 11 August 2009 Retrieved 1 July 2009 Mergulhao Marcus 11 October 2008 Chhetri on Leeds United radar India Times Archived from the original on 18 October 2008 Retrieved 29 June 2009 India 2008 09 RSSSF Archived from the original on 6 July 2009 Retrieved 1 July 2009 East Bengal begin League campaign on winning note Thaindian News 26 September 2008 Archived from the original on 11 August 2009 Retrieved 1 July 2009 Chettri strike hands East Bengal win over JCT Rediff 13 December 2008 Archived from the original on 12 August 2009 Retrieved 3 July 2009 Sangram stars as Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal to enter Fed Cup Final Mohun Bagan AC 18 December 2008 Archived from the original on 6 March 2014 Retrieved 21 August 2013 Indian Players For MLS Goal com 12 January 2009 Archived from the original on 11 August 2009 Retrieved 1 July 2009 Coventry calling for Sunil Chhetri The Indian Express 23 January 2009 Archived from the original on 12 August 2009 Retrieved 29 June 2009 Coventry no more interested in Chhetri Rediff 29 January 2009 Archived from the original on 12 August 2009 Retrieved 29 June 2009 Sarkar Saikat 20 May 2009 Chhetri gears up for Goa stint Express India Archived from the original on 12 August 2009 Retrieved 29 June 2009 a b Two year Dempo deal for Chhetri Hindustan Times 22 May 2009 Archived from the original on 12 August 2009 Retrieved 30 June 2009 a b c Bali Rahul 7 August 2009 Celtic scouts monitor Chhetri Goal com Archived from the original on 24 May 2012 Retrieved 7 August 2009 a b Chhetri denied UK work permit Hindustan Times 30 August 2009 Archived from the original on 25 January 2013 Retrieved 10 September 2009 Bali Rahul 24 March 2010 Sunil Chhetri Off To USA To Fulfill His Kansas Dream Goal com Archived from the original on 26 March 2010 Retrieved 27 March 2010 Chhetri scores hat trick in reserve game for Wizards 5 April 2010 Sunil Chhetri Makes Kansas City Debut Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on 25 February 2014 Retrieved 21 August 2013 Frustrated but determined Chhetri to see time vs Man Utd MLSsoccer com 23 July 2010 Archived from the original on 24 July 2010 gt Are Kansas City Wizards Playing Sunil Chhetri Against Manchester United As A PR Exercise Goal com 23 July 2010 Archived from the original on 11 June 2018 Press Release Wizards beat Man United Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on 25 December 2013 Retrieved 21 August 2013 Sunil Chhetri loaned to Indian team DNA India Archived from the original on 4 July 2021 Retrieved 21 August 2013 Austin Kurt 7 February 2011 Sporting KC Makes Four Roster Moves Sporting Kansas City Sportingkc com 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de Portugal Archived from the original on 27 December 2013 Retrieved 21 August 2013 Dream debut for India captain Sunil Chhetri at Churchill Brothers 21 February 2013 KITCHEE VS CHURCHILL BROTHERS 3 0 Soccerway Archived from the original on 11 April 2013 Retrieved 21 August 2013 CHURCHILL BROTHERS VS SEMEN 2 2 Soccerway Archived from the original on 17 June 2013 Retrieved 21 August 2013 Churchill Brothers are I League champions 2012 13 NDTV Archived from the original on 10 May 2013 Retrieved 21 August 2013 JSW Sports sign National Team Captain Sunil Chhetri The All India Football Federation Archived from the original on 21 September 2013 Retrieved 21 August 2013 BENGALURU VS MOHUN BAGAN 1 1 Soccerway Archived from the original on 15 October 2013 Retrieved 12 October 2013 BENGALURU VS RANGDAJIED UNITED 3 0 Soccerway Archived from the original on 3 November 2013 Retrieved 12 October 2013 MUMBAI VS BENGALURU 2 2 Soccerway Archived from the original on 11 June 2018 Retrieved 16 November 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September 2015 Marar Nandakumar 10 July 2015 Sunil Chetri goes to Mumbai City FC for Rs 1 20 crore The Hindu Archived from the original on 11 June 2018 Retrieved 28 October 2015 Mendoza brace helps Chennai register second win Archived from the original on 18 October 2015 Retrieved 28 October 2015 Chhetri brace leads Mumbai to first win Archived from the original on 24 October 2015 Retrieved 28 October 2015 Mumbai City FC beat table toppers FC Goa 2 0 at home Archived from the original on 28 October 2015 Retrieved 28 October 2015 Mumbai City FC drub NorthEast United FC 5 1 at home Archived from the original on 31 October 2015 Retrieved 28 October 2015 India S Chhetri Profile with news career statistics and history Soccerway Archived from the original on 12 March 2018 Retrieved 11 March 2018 Chhetri pens new deal with Bengaluru FC Bengaluru Football Club Archived from the original on 12 June 2016 Retrieved 10 June 2016 Sunil Chhetri The Indian goal machine in the ISL Olympic Channel 8 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com 18 June 2023 Retrieved 24 June 2023 Das Sharma Amitabha 18 June 2023 India beats Lebanon to win Intercontinental Cup title Sportstar The Hindu Archived from the original on 18 June 2023 Retrieved 18 June 2023 Sunil Chhetri hat trick in India s 4 0 rout of Pakistan www hindustantimes com 21 June 2023 Retrieved 24 June 2023 India vs Pakistan SAFF Cup 2023 Sunil Chhetri moves close to Lionel Messi s record after hat trick www indiatvnews com 21 June 2023 Retrieved 24 June 2023 Happy Birthday Sunil Chhetri 5 Interesting Facts About The Indian Football Captain News18 3 August 2021 Archived from the original on 3 August 2021 Retrieved 3 August 2021 Dsouza Stanislaus P 31 July 2010 Sunil Chhetri A thinking footballer The Times of India Archived from the original on 3 August 2010 Retrieved 18 November 2016 Sunil Chhetri s 32nd birthday Lesser known facts about the Indian football team captain IndiaToday in 3 August 2016 Archived from the original on 18 November 2016 Retrieved 18 November 2016 Schaerlaeckens Leander 10 May 2010 Indian star s soccer journey leads to K C ESPN Archived from the original on 8 March 2016 Retrieved 19 January 2014 Pashupati Fatak the childhood home of Indian football icon Sunil Chettri Sikkimexpress Retrieved 5 September 2023 Sunil Chhetri s mum is a former Nepali international Interview with Sunil Chhetri Goal Nepal 29 April 2010 Archived from the original on 1 February 2014 Retrieved 19 January 2014 What languages does Sunil Chhetri Speak Sunil Chhetri marries long time girlfriend Sonam Bhattacharya Archived from the original on 4 December 2017 Retrieved 8 December 2017 Rakshit Abhisek Dey Soham 10 June 2021 ড ফ ন স থ কল ক ভ ব আটক ত ন জ ম ই স ন লক জ ম ইষষ ঠ র আগ ট টক স ব রতর sangbadpratidin in in Bengali Sangbad Pratidin Archived from the original on 20 January 2022 Retrieved 2 October 2022 Asian Icons Sunil Chhetri www the afc com Archived from the original on 19 July 2019 Retrieved 12 August 2018 PTI 10 December 2019 Sunil Chhetri signs three year deal with Puma Sportstar Archived from the original on 30 December 2019 Retrieved 10 February 2020 Archived copy Archived from the original on 28 September 2022 Retrieved 28 September 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link FIFA Launches Three Episode Series on Life Career of Legendary Footballer Sunil Chhetri Football News Archived from the original on 28 September 2022 Retrieved 28 September 2022 Acer India ropes in Sunil Chhetri as brand ambassador for festive season financialexpress com BrandWagon Online 10 October 2023 Retrieved 10 October 2023 Includes Federation Cup Durand Cup U S Open Cup amp Super Cup Includes AFC Cup AFC Champions League Mohun Bagan participated in 2002 03 AFC Champions League but Chhetri s stats are unknown Includes 9 Appearances in Calcutta Football League and 1 in All Airlines Gold Cup 3 Goals in Calcutta Football League and 1 Goal in All Airlines Gold Cup Includes 10 Appearances in Calcutta Football League 4 in All Airlines Gold Cup and 4 in IFA Shield 3 Goals in Calcutta Football League and 1 Goal in All Airlines Gold Cup 12 Appearances in Calcutta Football League 3 Appearances in IFA Shield 6 Goals in Calcutta Football League 1 Goal in IFA Shield Includes Calcutta Football League Appearances in Goa Professional League Appearances in Calcutta Football League Appearances in Goa Professional League Sunil Chhetri National Football Teams Benjamin Strack Zimmermann Retrieved 31 December 2015 Media Team AIFF 15 August 2022 Indian Football Down the Years Looking back at the glorious moments www the aiff com New Delhi All India Football Federation Archived from the original on 21 September 2022 Retrieved 20 October 2022 Sportstar Team 9 July 2019 Sunil Chhetri and Ashalata Devi bag top honours at AIFF Awards sportstar thehindu com Sportstar Archived from the original on 27 October 2020 Retrieved 25 March 2022 Sunil Chhetri Manisha Kalyan bag AIFF Footballer of the Year awards english mathrubhumi com Kozhikode Kerala Mathrubhumi Sports 9 August 2022 Archived from the original on 9 August 2022 Retrieved 9 August 2022 There was little competition for the Best Striker Award as Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dicka of Shillong Lajong grabbed the award Business Standard 2 May 2017 Archived from the original on 25 June 2018 Retrieved 2 May 2017 Chhetri Khalid Dipanda among others win individual I League awards thefangarage com The Fan Garage 2 May 2017 Archived from the original on 30 June 2018 Retrieved 2 May 2017 FOOTBALL RATNA AWARD FOR SUNIL CHHETRI the aiff com AIFF Archived from the original on 19 February 2019 Retrieved 19 February 2019 TOISA 2021 Neeraj Chopra headlines the list of winners timesofindia indiatimes com New Delhi The Times of India 14 October 2021 Archived from the original on 26 October 2022 Retrieved 26 October 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link FIFA makes video series on Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri Archived from the original on 30 January 2023 Retrieved 5 February 2023 You know about Ronaldo and Messi now get Archived from the original on 5 February 2023 Retrieved 5 February 2023 Fifa honours India football captain Sunil Chhetri with three part series Archived from the original on 5 February 2023 Retrieved 5 February 2023 AFC Cup All time XI The Strikers Archived 27 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine the afc com Retrieved 28 March 2021 Sunil Chhetri named among 13 strikers to choose all time best three in AFC Cup The Times of India Archived from the original on 4 July 2021 Retrieved 28 March 2021 Arjuna Award an inspiration Chhetri The Hindu 29 August 2011 Archived from the original on 4 July 2021 Retrieved 27 June 2019 LIST OF ARJUNA AWARD WINNERS Football Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports yas nic in Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Archived from the original on 25 December 2007 Retrieved 25 December 2007 List of Arjuna Awardees 1961 2018 PDF Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports India Archived from the original PDF on 18 July 2020 Retrieved 12 September 2020 Kumar Coreena Suares Suresh Kavirayani and K Kalyan Krishna 26 January 2019 Three persons from Telangana Andhra Pradesh Sunil Chhetri get Padma Shri awards Deccan Chronicle Archived from the original on 26 January 2019 Retrieved 26 January 2019 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Sunil Chhetri football s first Khel Ratna awardee says it has been a dream journey Football News Times of India The Times of India 3 November 2021 Archived from the original on 3 November 2021 Retrieved 3 November 2021 National Sports Awards 2021 Neeraj Chopra Lovlina Borgohain Mithali Raj Among 9 Others to Get Khel Ratna News18 2 November 2021 Archived from the original on 3 November 2021 Retrieved 2 November 2021 Banerjee Ritabrata Indian football 10 records held by Sunil Chhetri in international and club football Archived 19 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Goal com External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sunil Chhetri Sunil Chhetri FIFA competition record archived nbsp Sunil Chhetri at National Football Teams com nbsp Sunil Chhetri at Soccerway nbsp Sunil Chhetri at FootballDatabase eu nbsp Sunil Chhetri on Twitter nbsp Sunil Chhetri at ESPN FC nbsp Sunil Chhetri at WorldFootball net nbsp Sunil Chhetri at Major League Soccer nbsp Sunil Chhetri on Facebook Sunil Chhetri at Indian Super League Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sunil Chhetri amp oldid 1188590705, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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