Sunil Chhetri Indian Forward Who’s Chasing Messi and Ronaldo

Sunil Chhetri Indian Forward Who’s Chasing Messi and Ronaldo

The list of all-time top goal scorers in international soccer is headed by some of the biggest names in the sport, but many fans would be surprised to see a relatively unheralded Indian player close behind two of the biggest names the game has ever seen.

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Who Leads the Way?

Cristiano Ronaldo recently scored goal number 117 for Portugal, putting him ahead of the now-retired Ali Daei of Iran as the top-scoring player of all time in international games. His haul includes ten hat-tricks for his country and at the age of 37, the 2022 World Cup could provide a fitting end to a phenomenal career.

After Ronaldo comes Daei, with 109 goals, and Mokhtar Dahari of Malaysia, with 89 strikes. Since both of these legendary players have now retired from the sport, the second-placed active player is Lionel Messi, who recently reached 86 international goals thanks to a five-goal performance against Estonia where he scored all of his team’s goals in a 5-0 win.

At a couple of years younger than his Portuguese rival, there is still a chance that Messi overtakes him in the list of all-time scorers. However, it would take a tremendous effort from the Argentine forward and he is also at risk of slipping down a place as the next player on the list is only a couple of goals behind him.

Who Is Sunil Chhetri?

This Indian forward recently scored four goals in a spell of international games, to put him level with the famous Hungarian Ferenc Puskas. In fact, he was ahead of Messi until the Argentine blasted those five goals against Estonia.

The 37 year-old has played 129 times for India and is regarded as one of their best-ever players. Despite the domestic game being in a state of turmoil in India, Chhetri has led them to impressive victories in the 2023 Asian Cup qualifying rounds.

He’s spent most of his career playing for Indian teams, with his prolific international form only earning him a couple of brief chances of shining abroad, with short spells in the US and Portugal. By the time the 2023 Asian Cup is played, Chhetri will know how many goals he would need to score to move ahead of Messi, although it seems unlikely that he’ll catch Ronaldo.

How to See Their Next Goals?

Soccer fans all over the planet are sure to be keen to see which of these players scores the most goals in the upcoming major tournaments, which could be their last before retiring. The 2022 World Cup can be streamed online and using mobile apps, with some broadcasters even offering a VR experience to immerse viewers in the atmosphere, using headsets like Oculus Go and Gear.

The powerful platforms offered by sports betting software providers mean that it’s also now possible to place bets on live games. Constantly updated feeds mean that the latest odds and match information are available at all times, allowing bettors to make informed decisions on what they want to bet on. They also give a seamless experience across the online and retail elements of any operator, so the same odds are offered through each channel.

The next year will be fascinating for soccer fans, with the battle to finish as the sport’s top scorer adding an extra element to the major events that are coming up.