Here’s why Sunil Chhetri believes that he can be ‘better’ than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

For over a decade, Sunil Chhetri has served as the captain of the Indian football team, establishing himself as one of the most accomplished leaders in the sport. His exceptional individual statistics for the team reflect his ability to lead by example. Chhetri has earned a place among the all-time top 10 highest goal scorers for their respective international teams, alongside renowned names like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He is also the third-highest active international goalscorer after them scoring 92 goals. He commented on comparisons in an interview saying, “There’s no comparison with the rest of the nine names on the list. I mean, I am a fan of players like Ronaldo and Messi, just like so many other fans of them. There’s just no comparison, and I don’t take this list, or whatever this list is, too seriously. ”

However, he did say that he can be a better player than them at the international level. “But, yes, when it comes to representing the national team, I can be even better than them,” To prove this, Chhetri now aims to put on good performances in the upcoming Asia Cup.

In the same conversation, he said, “The Asian Cup is like the World Cup for us. It is right at the very top of our list, and therefore, performing our best there is paramount. I don’t mean to put this pressure on the boys, but we should be qualifying for the Asian Cup every time,” Sunil Chhetri has left a mark on Indian football irrespective of the Messi and Ronaldo comparisons. He is now 38 years old and is in the evening of his career. It will be interesting to see if he can break more records before calling it a day.

Related: The post-Sunil Chhetri era: What would happen to the Indian setup after Chhetri retires?

Sunil Chhetri opens up on fan support

Chhetri is widely acknowledged as the greatest Indian player of all time. He currently leads the national team which finally got some recognition from the cricket-obsessed country. The striker has enthusiastically reacted to their support after winning the SAFF Cup 2023. In an interview, Chhetri said, “It has been great, the support, right from day 1 (of the tournament). On the pitch, the way fans were and encouraged us throughout the game was something special and something magical.

“Also, the fact that Kuwait and Lebanon—who were India’s opponents in the final and the semi-finals, respectively—are not exactly SAFF teams. They were invited, and they are really good quality sides. So beating them, competitions like them, also felt great,” While the Indian captain praised the support, he also acknowledged that the team has a long way to go. “

There was never a problem with the match-going fans, but yes, there has been an increase in the number of people who have started talking about football, and I think that’s a really good thing. I can sense the atmosphere is changing. But at the same time, I know we have jumped up a few ranks, we still have a long way to go. We have to just keep up the good work and stay focused on where we want to reach now,” The fan support the team is now getting is admirable and this new trend must continue for football to reach new heights.

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