Sunil Chhetri: 6 things to know about the football legend

Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the country's national football team, is a revered figure in Indian sports and a key figure in the world of football. He announced his retirement from international football, and is set to hang his boots after India's FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Kuwait on June 6. Chhetri took to his social media account to share this news with his fans and followers. As he bids farewell to football, here we list 6 things about this soccer legend that every sports lover should know.

Sunil Chhetri.

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Sunil Chhetri is India's all-time leading goal scorer in international football. To date, he has scored 94 goals in 150 international matches, making him the third-highest active goal scorer in the world, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.  

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Chhetri has earned as many as 150 caps for India, making him the most capped player in the history of Indian football. His experience and leadership gave the Indian football team a new dimension on the global stage.

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Not many know that Sunil Chhetri's mother, Sushila Chhetri, has played for the Nepal women's national team. Her sporting background influenced Sunil's early interest in football.

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Sunil Chhettri played a crucial role in India’s 2008 AFC Challenge Cup win, which helped the team qualify for the first AFC Asian Cup (2011) in 27 years.

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Chhetri helped India win the Nehru Cup (2007, 2009, 2012) as well as the SAFF Championship (2011, 2015, 2021).

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In his illustrious two-decade-long international career, Chhetri has won the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year award seven times, with the latest coming in 2021-22.

Credit: Reuters photo