Introduction
Sunil Chhetri, was born on August 3, 1984, a retired Indian football player recognized for his forward performance and leadership. He held the records for the most goals and caps for India in international competition while captaining Bengaluru FC. Several titles and honors, like as the SAFF Championship and Nehru Cup, were won by Chhetri. Awards including the Padma Shri, Khel Ratna, and Arjuna Awards were given to him. Effective May 16, 2024, Chhetri stepped down from the national squad.
Club career
Beginning in the 2001–02 season, Sunil Chhetri played for Delhi's City Club. Despite his team's failure to go past the quarterfinals in the Durand Cup of 2002, Chhetri showed promise as one of the competition's players by scoring in four of his games. Soon after he joined City Club, he received an invitation for a trial in Kolkata from Mohun Bagan, who was impressed with his performance.
Mohun Bagan
When Chhetri first joined Mohun Bagan in 2002–03, he scored four goals in his first season and two more in the following one, as the side placed seventh and ninth, respectively. He achieved a hat-trick in 2004–05, leading Mohun Bagan to an eighth-place result.
JCT
Chhetri scored three goals during his season as a member of JCT in 2005–2006. Despite his two hat-tricks, he was unable to keep Delhi from losing in the pre-quarterfinal round of the Santosh Trophy. His twelve goals in the league helped JCT finish second in the 2006–07 season. With seven goals that season and the AIFF Player of the Year award for 2007, Chhetri made his I-League debut in November 2007.
East Bengal
Chhetri signed for East Bengal in the I-League prior to the 2008–09 campaign, and he scored against Chirag United on his debut. Later on in the Federation Cup, he scored a vital goal. He chose to try out for Coventry City in England instead of MLS teams, albeit that didn't work out.
Dempo
On May 22, 2009, Chhetri signed a two-year contract with Dempo in the I-League after leaving East Bengal. A provision in his contract allowed him to seek trials overseas if he so chose.
More foreign interest
After seeing Chhetri play, Celtic expressed interest in acquiring his services. On August 30, 2009, he did, however, sign a three-year contract with Queens Park Rangers. Nevertheless, because of India's FIFA ranking, the British government refused to grant him a work permit. On September 14, Chhetri made his Dempo debut by scoring in a 4-1 victory over Air India.
Kansas City
Being the first Indian player in Major League Soccer (MLS), Chhetri started a trial with the Kansas City Wizards in March 2010 and signed a formal contract with them on March 24. He made his debut in a U.S. Open Cup game and dazzled with a hat-trick in a reserves game. He participated in a friendly match against Manchester United in spite of criticism. In February 2011, he departed from the group.
Chirag United and Mohun Bagan
In the 2010–11 I-League season, Sunil Chhetri made his debut for Chirag United against Dempo and finished with a brace against ONGC. He scored twice in his debut against Mumbai FC after rejoining Mohun Bagan in July 2011. In July 2012, he joined with Sporting CP B and was loaned to Churchill Brothers in February 2013, where he had a big impact with four goals in eight games, helping them win the I-League title.
Bengaluru
With 14 goals and 7 assists in the 2013–14 season, Bengaluru FC won their first-ever I-League championship thanks to Sunil Chhetri's outstanding play. Despite missing a penalty in the Durand Cup semi-final, he made significant contributions to Bengaluru FC's triumph in the Federation Cup and Durand Cup the following season.
Mumbai City
With seven goals in the 2015 Indian Super League, Chhetri—who Mumbai City had signed for ₹1.2 crores—became the team's leading scorer. His national team obligations kept him away from early games, but he returned to make a big impression, scoring six goals in only four games, including a hat-trick against NorthEast United. Being among the highest-paid players in India, his steady play earned him a hefty three-year contract in 2017.
Return to Bengaluru
In 2015–16, Chhetri played on loan for Bengaluru FC and contributed to the team's I-League championship win. He was instrumental in the AFC Cup semifinal victory in 2016, having signed a one-year contract. He has scored goals frequently since then, helping Bengaluru win more titles. His contract was extended until 2023, and he won the 2022 Durand Cup, therefore he is still a vital player despite controversies such as a disputed goal in March 2023.
International career
The international career of Sunil Chhetri took off between 2007 and 2011. Through important goals, he guided India to win in the 2007 Nehru Cup. With four goals, Chhetri was impressive even after India was eliminated from the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup and SAFF Championship, he was crucial to the teams' victories and 2011 Asian Cup qualification. Especially in the 2022 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, Chhetri scored two goals, setting records and setting an example for the Indian side.
Personal life
Born in Secunderabad, India, on August 3, 1984, Sunil Chhetri hails from a family that is passionate about football. Multilingual, he joined Puma in 2020 after getting married to Sonam Bhattacharya in 2017. In 2022, FIFA debuted a documentary series chronicling his life; on August 31, 2023, he welcomed Dhruv into the world.