38 years old Sunil Chhetri, is still the driving force behind the Indian national men’s squad. In terms of national team successes, the small striker dwarfs his colleagues and predecessors in the profession. He has 92 goals from 142 matches, placing him third among current footballers in terms of international goals scored. Nonetheless, a persistent concern hovers in the hearts of all of us: Who will stand forward next?
While the nation, dreads the question, the Indian skipper seemed to be confident of the future in his absence. Speaking to Sportstar, Chhetri stated:
” I may ask in return: Did anyone predict the existence of Sunil Chhetri when names like I.M. Vijayan and Bhaichung Bhutia were playing? I know many talents in the country can do better than Sunil Chhetri. I am in a position where I can see it happening, and secondly, it is very important for you all to hope for that, or else the future will be bleak. “
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Sunil Chhetri’s continuing prowess is exemplified by the just-ended SAFF Championship. With five spectacular goals to his record, the legendary forward emerged as the undisputed winner, taking home both the prized Golden Ball and the Golden Boot medals. However, the Blue Tigers were struck with a huge setback shortly afterward.
Being 18th in Asia, the Indian Football Team were excluded from the contingent to travel to Asian Games 2022. The government guidelines stated that only teams ranking 8 and above will be allowed for the Asiad. Despite not mentioning the event directly, Sunil Chhetri resonated on the urgency of reaching the TOP 10 in AFC rankings.
“When we are aiming to break into the top-10 teams in Asia, we will need players who are better than Sunil Chhetri. We have been able to reach this stage [FIFA ranking 100 and AFC ranking 18] depending on the best that I and the team could achieve. We need the national team to get even better to match the best on the continent, and we should aim for that mark.” he added.
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“We once dropped to a ranking of 173 and then gradually recovered to make a substantial jump to the stage where we are now. We have remained between the rankings of 17 and 19 in Asia. Now we have to get within the top 10 and then cement our position there. For that, we need a team that can do better than this one, which I think has laid the foundation for the future. This is how the evolution of the Indian football team should be set in place. “ Sunil Chhetri concluded.
The Indian National Team hopes to build on recent triumphs and continue their strong form heading into the AFC Asian Cup in January. They will compete in the King’s Cup in Thailand in September, the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia in October, and international matches in November and December.
Following that, they will participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers against a variety of opponents, including difficult games against Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria. Sunil Chhetri and his team are looking forward to these upcoming meetings and are enthused about the chances that await them.
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