In a world where club football is so popular, being able to score goals while wearing the national team jersey is still something every footballer dreams of. However, there are some select players who have gone through this experience time and time again, and have etched their names in the annals of history. Indian football team Captain Sunil Chhetri falls on that list. Chhetri has been ever-present in the Indian squad since 2005, scoring 93 goals so far in 143 appearances. He is by far India’s highest goal scorer ever in the international stage. But where does he stand in all-time international goal scorer’s list? Let’s find out.
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Sunil Chhetri the serial scorer
Sunil Chhetri made his debut for India’s national side at the tender age of 21 and hasn’t stopped scoring since. He has over 90 goals in his international career, and is fourth on all-time international goal scorer list. He is only behind legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, Ali Daei of Iran and Lionel Messi of Argentina ahead of him.
Cristiano Ronaldo tops the international goal scorer’s list with 127 goals in 203 matches. Ever since he made his international debut for Portugal in 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo has been scoring goals on a regular basis. He has achieved a total of ten hat-tricks, which is also the most in the history of international football.
Next on the list is Ali Daei of Iran with 109 goals in 148 matches. Daei was the first football player to score 100 international goals of any country.
Lionel Messi of Argentina is third on the list with 106 goals in 178 matches. Messi & Ronaldo came at the same era and football fans have enjoyed every bit of their rivalry. While Messi has pipped Ronaldo in terms of Ballon d’Ors won, Ronaldo has the upper hand when it comes to international goals.
Sunil Chhetri seems a unlikely name when compared to these legends but it is no mean feat to be named in the same breath as them in terms of International goals. The amount of quality legends such as Messi and Ronaldo have had in their national team made their task of scoring goals much easier when compared to Chhetri.
| Position | Player | Country | Goals | Appearances |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 127 | 203 |
| 2 | Ali Daei | Iran | 109 | 148 |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 106 | 178 |
| 4 | Sunil Chhetri | India | 93 | 143 |
| 5 | Mokhtar Dahari | Malaysia | 89 | 142 |
| 6 | Ferenc Puskas | Hungary | 84 | 85 |
| 7 | Ali Mabkhout | United Arab Emirates | 81 | 110 |
| 8 | Robert Lewandowski | Poland | 81 | 144 |
| 9 | Godfrey Chitalu | Zambia | 79 | 111 |
| 10 | Neymar | Brazil | 79 | 128 |
Chhetri have always been the face of the Blue Tigers. He has scored goals, taken set-pieces and even tracked back to help his team. There have been multiple instances when Chhetri have had to carry the whole team on his shoulders. The best part is he has always done so with a smile.
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