A look at Sunil Chhetri's records before his last dance in international football
Sunil Chhetri is set to bid farewell to international football after the FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Kuwait on June 6
Sunil Chhetri (Photo/Instagram @chetri_sunil11)
NEW DELHI: Sunil Chhetri, a titan of Indian football, had announced his retirement on May 16, stating that the game against Kuwait on Thursday would be his last for the national side.
India's clash against Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup Qualifying match on Thursday at the Salt Lake Stadium has significant importance for Indian football fans.
The game will mark the last appearance of legendary captain Chhetri in Indian colours.
As Chhetri gets closer to his final dance on the international circuit for the Indian football team, a look at his career which has been nothing short of a fairytale story that most players dream of living.
Most goals by an Indian in AFC Competitions
A titan of Indian football, Chhetri, has scored a total of 19 goals - the most by an Indian player- in the AFC Cup and AFC Champions qualifiers. He featured in 31 AFC Cup matches and two AFC Champions League (ACL) qualifying games.
Source: AIFF
Most hat-tricks for India
Along with most international caps and goals, India's most prolific goal-scorer Chhetri has also netted the most number of hat-tricks in international football, four.
Source: AIFF
AIFF Player of the Year for a record seven six times
Chhetri has won the prestigious All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year title a total of seven times in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons. He has also won the FPAI Indian Player of the Year award in 2009, 2018 and 2019.
Source: AIFF
Highest international goals by an Indian
Chhetri has scored 94 goals in 150 international matches for India, making him the fourth-highest scorer across all of international football. Among the active players, he is only behind stars like Lionel Messi or Argentina (106 goals in 180 matches) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (128 goals in 205 matches).
Source: AIFF
First Indian player to score hat-trick in ISL
Chhetri was the first player to score a hat-trick in the Indian Super League (ISL). He achieved the feat in 2015.
Source: Bengaluru FC