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Sunil Chhetri
The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, 2021 to Shri Sunil Chhetri for Football, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on 13 November 2021 (cropped).jpg
Chhetri in 2021
Personal information
Full name Sunil Chhetri
Date of birth (1984-08-03) 3 August 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana), India
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Bengaluru
Number 11
Youth career
2001–2002 City Club Delhi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2005 Mohun Bagan 18 (10)
2005–2008 JCT 48 (21)
2008–2009 East Bengal 17 (9)
2009–2010 Dempo 13 (8)
2010 Kansas City Wizards 0 (0)
2011 Chirag United 7 (7)
2011–2012 Mohun Bagan 14 (6)
2012–2013 Sporting CP B 3 (0)
2013 → Churchill Brothers (loan) 8 (4)
2013–2015 Bengaluru 43 (16)
2015–2016 Mumbai City 17 (7)
2016 → Bengaluru (loan) 14 (5)
2017– Bengaluru 182 (75)
International career‡
2004 India U20 3 (2)
2004–2023 India U23 6 (2)
2005– India 155 (95)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  India
AFC Challenge Cup
Winner 2008 India
SAFF Championship
Runner-up 2008 Maldives & Sri Lanka
Winner 2011 India
Runner-up 2013 Nepal
Winner 2015 India
Winner 2021 Maldives
Winner 2023 India
Nehru Cup
Winner 2007 India
Winner 2009 India
Winner 2012 India
Intercontinental Cup
Winner 2018 India
Winner 2023 India
South Asian Games
Silver 2004 Pakistan Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:30, 12 April 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:30, 4 June 2025 (UTC)

Sunil Chhetri (born August 3, 1984) is a famous Indian footballer. He plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru. He also captains the Indian national team.

Sunil Chhetri is known for his amazing goal-scoring skills and strong leadership. He is the all-time top scorer in the Indian Super League. He has scored the most goals and played the most games for the Indian national team. Many people consider him the greatest Indian football player ever. He is also one of the top international goal scorers in the world, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ali Daei.

Chhetri started his professional career with Mohun Bagan in 2002. He later played for clubs like JCT, East Bengal, and Dempo. In 2010, he joined Major League Soccer team Kansas City Wizards, becoming one of the few Indian players to play abroad. He also played for Sporting CP B in Portugal.

He helped India win many tournaments, including the Nehru Cup multiple times (2007, 2009, 2012) and the SAFF Championship (2011, 2015, 2021, 2023). He also led India to win the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which allowed them to play in the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 27 years. In 2016, he led Bengaluru FC to the final of the AFC Cup. Chhetri has been named the AIFF Player of the Year a record seven times.

He received the Arjuna Award in 2011 for his sports achievements. In 2019, he got the Padma Shri, a high civilian award in India. In 2021, he received the Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sports honor, becoming the first footballer to get it. Chhetri announced his retirement from international football in June 2024. However, in March 2025, he decided to return to the national team to help them.

Club Career Highlights

Representing Bengaluru FC
I-League
Winner 2013/14 {{{3}}}
Runner-up 2014/15 {{{3}}}
Winner 2015/16 {{{3}}}
Indian Super League
Runner-up ISL 2017/18 {{{3}}}
Winner ISL 2018/19 {{{3}}}
Runner-up ISL 2022/23 {{{3}}}
Runner-up ISL 2024/25 {{{3}}}
AFC Cup
Runner-up AFC Cup 2016 {{{3}}}
Federation Cup
Winner Federation Cup 2014/15 {{{3}}}
Winner Federation Cup 2016/17 {{{3}}}
Super Cup
Winner Super Cup 2018 {{{3}}}
Runner-up Super Cup 2023 {{{3}}}
Durand Cup
Winner Durand Cup 2022 {{{3}}}

Early Club Days

Sunil Chhetri started playing football with City Club in Delhi in 2001. He played in the 2002 Durand Cup and scored a goal. He was noticed by Mohun Bagan and joined them for a trial.

Mohun Bagan (2002–2005)

Chhetri began his professional career with Mohun Bagan in 2002. In his first season (2002–03), he scored four goals. He continued to play for Mohun Bagan for three seasons.

JCT (2005–2008)

In 2005, Chhetri joined JCT. He scored three goals in his first season with them. In the 2006–07 season, he scored twelve goals, helping JCT finish second in the league. He scored two goals against his old club Mohun Bagan and against Dempo. In December 2007, he won the AIFF Player of the Year award.

Sunil Chhetri (cropped)
Chhetri in 2008

Some foreign clubs like Leeds United and Estoril Praia showed interest in him in 2008, but a move didn't happen.

East Bengal (2008–2009)

Chhetri signed with East Bengal for the 2008–09 season. He scored in his first game for the club. He also scored a key goal in the Federation Cup against JCT. He had trials with Coventry City in England, but he didn't sign with them.

Dempo (2009–2010)

In 2009, Chhetri joined Dempo. He had a special clause in his contract that allowed him to try out for foreign clubs. There were rumors that Celtic in Scotland and Queens Park Rangers in England were interested in him. However, he couldn't get a work permit for England because India's FIFA ranking was not high enough.

Sporting Kansas City (2010)

In March 2010, Chhetri joined Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City) in the Major League Soccer (MLS). He became the first Indian to play in the MLS. He played in a friendly match against Manchester United in July 2010. He left the team in February 2011 to play for the Indian national team.

Return to India (2011–2012)

After his time in the MLS, Chhetri returned to India. He played for Chirag United for a short period. He then rejoined Mohun Bagan in July 2011.

Sporting CP B (2012–2013)

In July 2012, Chhetri signed with Sporting CP in Portugal to play for their reserve team. He made his debut for the team in a Segunda Liga match.

Loan to Churchill Brothers (2013)

To get more playing time, Chhetri was loaned to Churchill Brothers in February 2013. He scored two goals in his first game for them. He helped Churchill Brothers win their second I-League title.

Bengaluru FC Era

Joining Bengaluru FC (2013–2015)

In July 2013, Chhetri joined the new I-League team Bengaluru. He scored his first goal for the club in their second game. He had an amazing first season, scoring 14 goals and providing 7 assists. He led Bengaluru FC to win their first-ever I-League title in their very first season.

In the 2014–15 Federation Cup, Chhetri scored six goals, helping Bengaluru win the cup.

Mumbai City FC (2015–2016)

Chhetri was picked by Mumbai City in the 2015 Indian Super League. He became the most expensive Indian player at the auction. He scored a hat-trick in his fourth game, becoming the first Indian player to do so in the ISL. He was Mumbai City's top scorer that season with 7 goals.

Return to Bengaluru FC (2015–Present)

Chhetri was loaned back to Bengaluru for the 2015–16 I-League season. He scored 5 goals and helped his team win the league title again. He also scored twice in the 2016 AFC Cup, helping Bengaluru reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

In June 2016, Chhetri signed a new contract with Bengaluru FC. He scored two goals in the 2016 AFC Cup semi-final, including a fantastic 30-yard shot, helping Bengaluru reach the final.

Since 2017, Chhetri has continued to be a key player for Bengaluru FC.

  • In the 2017–18 Indian Super League season, he scored 14 goals and was named the "Hero of the League."
  • He won the Indian Super Cup with Bengaluru FC in 2018.
  • He led Bengaluru to win the ISL title in 2019, scoring 9 goals.
  • He was the top scorer for the club for three seasons in a row (2019–20, 2020–21).
  • On February 15, 2021, Chhetri became the first player to play 200 games for Bengaluru FC.
  • He scored his 100th goal for the club on February 25, 2021.
  • He won the 2022 Durand Cup with the team.
  • On December 7, 2024, Chhetri scored a hat-trick against Kerala Blasters, becoming the oldest player to score an ISL hat-trick.

International Career

The captain of Indian Football team, Shri Bhaichung Bhutia celebrating alongwith other players after winning the final of Nehru Football Cup between India and Syria, in New Delhi on August 29, 2007
Chhetri (right) celebrating with teammates, after winning the 2007 Nehru Cup final against Syria

Sunil Chhetri first played for the India U-20 team in March 2004. He scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Bhutan. On June 12, 2005, he scored his first goal for the senior India national football team in his debut match against Pakistan.

On October 15, 2019, Chhetri became the only Indian player to be in the top 10 international goal scorers list.

Early International Success (2007–2011)

Chhetri's first big international tournament was the 2007 Nehru Cup. He scored two goals against Cambodia and one each against Syria and Kyrgyzstan. India won the final against Syria, with Chhetri playing a key role.

In the 2008 SAFF Championship, he scored against Nepal and Bhutan. India reached the final but lost to the Maldives.

Sunil Chhetri (2008 AFC Challenge Cup)
Chhetri celebrating after scoring in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup

In the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, Chhetri scored four goals. He scored the only goal in the semi-final against Myanmar. In the final against Tajikistan, Chhetri scored a hat-trick, helping India win the Cup. This win qualified India for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, their first time in 24 years.

Ahmad Faisal - football - C
Chhetri at the 2011 SAFF Championship.

He also scored in the 2009 Nehru Cup, which India won. In the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, he scored against Bahrain and South Korea. In December 2011, he set a new record by scoring seven goals in a single edition of the SAFF Championship.

Continued Leadership (2012–2016)

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

In the 2012 Nehru Cup, Chhetri scored a header against Syria and two goals against Maldives. In the final against Cameroon, he scored a penalty to make the score 2–2. India won the penalty shootout, with Chhetri scoring his kick.

Milestones and Records (2017–2021)

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

On October 11, 2017, Chhetri scored and assisted in a 4–1 win against Macau. This win helped India qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. India had a 13-match unbeaten run before losing to Kyrgyzstan.

Sunil Chhetri vs Thailand 2019
Chhetri at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup

In June 2018, Chhetri scored a hat-trick against Chinese Taipei in the 2018 Intercontinental Cup. After this match, he asked fans on Twitter to come and support the team, and the stadium was packed for the next games. In his 100th international game, he scored two goals against Kenya. He scored twice in the final against Kenya, helping India win the Intercontinental Cup. This also meant he had equaled Lionel Messi's 64 international goals at that time.

On January 6, 2019, Chhetri's two goals against Thailand helped India win 4–1 in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. On June 7, 2021, he scored twice against Bangladesh in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. On October 13, 2021, he scored two goals against Maldives in the 2021 SAFF Championship. On October 16, 2021, he scored again in the final against Nepal, equaling Messi's 80 international goals.

Recent International Matches (2022–2025)

In June 2022, Chhetri scored two goals against Cambodia in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. He also scored against Afghanistan and Hong Kong, helping India qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. He was the top scorer in the third round of the qualifiers with 4 goals.

Sunil Chhetri receiving award from Naveen Patnaik in 2024
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik handing the 2023 Intercontinental Cup trophy to Sunil Chhetri.

On March 28, 2023, Chhetri scored his 85th goal against Kyrgyzstan, passing Ferenc Puskás to become the fifth-highest international goal scorer. On June 18, he scored in the final of the 2023 Intercontinental Cup against Lebanon, helping India win the tournament. On June 21, Chhetri scored his 4th hat-trick for India in a 4–0 win over Pakistan in the 2023 SAFF Championship. His 90th international goal in that match made him the second-highest Asian goal scorer, behind only Ali Daei.

Retirement and Comeback

On May 16, 2024, Chhetri announced that his match against Kuwait on June 6, 2024, would be his last international game. However, on March 6, 2025, the AIFF announced that Chhetri had decided to return to the national team. The new head coach, Manolo Márquez, asked him to come back to help the team for the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification.

In his first match after returning, Chhetri scored against Maldives, helping India win 3–0.

Personal Life

Sunil Chhetri was born on August 3, 1984, in Secunderabad, India. His father, K. B. Chhetri, was in the Indian Army and played football for the Army team. His mother, Sushila Chhetri, and her twin sister played for the Nepal women's national team. Sunil spent much of his childhood in Darjeeling. He speaks English, Hindi, Nepali, Bengali, and Kannada fluently.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi felicitating the Indian football legends, at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup match, in New Delhi on October 06, 2017 (2)
Chhetri being honored by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in 2017.

On December 4, 2017, Chhetri married Sonam Bhattacharya, whose father was also a famous Indian footballer. In 2018, the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) called Sunil Chhetri an 'Asian Icon' on his 34th birthday. In 2020, he signed a deal with the sports brand Puma.

In September 2022, FIFA released a three-episode documentary about his life called 'Captain Fantastic'. Sunil and his wife Sonam welcomed their son, Dhruv, on August 31, 2023.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
City Club Delhi 2001–02 Delhi Premier League — — — — —
Mohun Bagan 2002–03 National Football League 18 4 — — 10 4 72 8
2003–04 2 3 0 — 18 4 6
2004–05 4 8 3 — 15 7 14
Total 18 10 11 3 — 43 15 72 28
JCT 2005–06 National Football League 48 3 — — — 48 3
2006–07 11 — — — 11
2007–08 I-League 7 — — — 7
Total 48 21 — — — 48 21
East Bengal 2008–09 I-League 17 9 4 2 — 5 2 26 13
Dempo 2009–10 I-League 13 8 6 1 — 5 4 24 13
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 I-League 14 6 2 1 — 2 0 18 7
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 2 17 8
Bengaluru 2013–14 I-League 23 14 3 1 — — 26 15
2014–15 20 2 9 9 6 3 — 35 14
Total 43 16 12 10 6 3 0 0 61 29
Mumbai City 2015 Indian Super League 11 7 — — — 11 7
2016 6 0 — — — 6 0
Total 17 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 7
Bengaluru (loan) 2015–16 I-League 14 5 2 1 4 3 — 20 9
Bengaluru 2016–17 I-League 16 7 3 0 11 5 — 30 12
2017–18 Indian Super League 21 14 4 6 8 4 — 33 24
2018–19 19 9 1 1 2 0 — 22 10
2019–20 17 9 — 2 2 — 19 11
2020–21 20 8 — 1 1 — 21 9
2021–22 20 4 0 0 3 0 — 23 4
2022–23 21 5 12 5 — — 33 10
2023–24 20 5 0 0 — — 20 5
2024–25 28 14 5 3 — — 33 17
Total 196 80 27 16 31 15 0 0 254 111
Career total 384 168 63 33 42 20 59 23 548 246

International

Main article: List of international goals scored by Sunil Chhetri
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
India 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
2024 6 1
2025 4 1
Total 155 95

Awards and Honors

Team Achievements

  • Dempo
  • Churchill Brothers
    • I-League: 2012–13
  • Bengaluru
    • Indian Super League: 2018–19
    • I-League: 2013–14, 2015–16
    • Federation Cup: 2014–15, 2016–17
    • Super Cup: 2018
    • Durand Cup: 2022
    • AFC Cup runner-up: 2016
  • India
    • AFC Challenge Cup: 2008
    • SAFF Championship: 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023
    • Nehru Cup: 2007, 2009, 2012
    • Intercontinental Cup: 2018, 2023
    • Tri-Nation Series: 2023
  • India U20
    • South Asian Games silver medal: 2004

Individual Awards

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Arjuna Award for the year-2011 to Shri Sunil Chhetri for Football, in a glittering ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on August 29, 2011
Pratibha Patil, then-president of India, presenting the Arjuna Award to Chhetri in 2011.
  • AIFF Player of the Year (7 times): 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018–19, 2021–22
  • FPAI Indian Player of the Year (4 times): 2009, 2018, 2019, 2020
  • SAFF Championship Player of the Tournament (4 times): 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023
  • SAFF Championship Top Scorer (3 times): 2011, 2021, 2023
  • Hero of the Intercontinental Cup: 2018
  • Hero of the I-League: 2016–17
  • 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 ever recipient) by Football Delhi: 2019
  • The Times of India TOISA Best Footballer: 2021

Special Recognitions

  • FIFA honored Chhetri with three documentary episodes about his life and career in 2022.
  • AFC Asian Icon: 2018
  • 2019 AFC Asian Cup: Favorite Player (voted by fans)
  • AFC Cup All-time XI (The Strikers): Inducted in 2021

National Awards

The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, 2021 to Shri Sunil Chhetri for Football, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on 13 November 2021
Ram Nath Kovind, then-president of India, presenting the Khel Ratna Award to Chhetri in 2021.
  • 2011 − Arjuna Award, given by the Government of India for outstanding sports achievement.
  • 2019 − Padma Shri Ribbon.svg Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor.
  • 2021 – Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honor.

Records

International Records

Record Notes Ref
Most appearances for India 155 matches
Most goals for India 95 goals
3rd highest active goalscorer in the world
4th highest goalscorer in the world
Most hat-tricks for India 4 hat-tricks
Highest goalscorer for India in AFC Competitions 19 goals

Club Football Records

Record Notes Ref
Most appearances by an Indian in AFC Cup 31 matches
Most goals scored by an Indian in AFC Cup 19 goals
Most goals in Indian Super League 75 goals
Most hat-tricks by an Indian in Indian Super League 3 hat-tricks
Most appearances for Bengaluru FC 302 matches
Most AIFF Player of the Year Award 7 times

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sunil Chhetri para niños

  • List of top international men's football goalscorers 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 India national football team captains
  • List of Indian football first tier top scorers
  • List of India international footballers
  • List of Indian expatriate footballers
  • FPAI Indian Player of the Year
  • AIFF Player of the Year
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