Football
Sunil Chhetri now has more goals than Lionel Messi
Chhetri has now crossed Argentina's Lionel Messi to become the second-highest active goalscorer in the world with 74 goals.
Sunil Chhetri is again in the news for all the right reasons. Courtesy of his two goals against Bangladesh in India's 2-0 win, the 36-year-old striker has now crossed Argentina's Lionel Messi to become the second-highest active goalscorer in the world with 74 goals. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo with 103 goals is currently in the No. 1 position of active international goalscorers.
India registered its first FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifiers win thanks to Chhetri's brace — first from a header through a cross by Ashique and later a brilliant finish from inside the box. The Bengaluru FC striker also moved up in the all-time list of goalscorers and currently stand on 11th position — behind the trio of Hungary's Sandor Kocsis, Japan's Kunishige Kamamoto, and Kuwait's Bashar Abdullah, who all have 75 goals in their career.
UAE's Ali Mabkhout has 73 goals after he scored against Malaysia last week while Chhetri has 72 goals after his goal against Chile.
List of International goalscorers:
- 1. Ali Daei (Iran) 109 from 149 Matches
- 2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 102 from 168 Matches
- 3. Mokhtar Dahari (Malaysia) 86 from 131 Matches
- 4. Fernec Puskas (Hungary) 84 from 85 Matches
- 5. Godfrey Chitalu (Zambia) 79 from 111 Matches
- 6.Hussein Saeed (Iraq) 76 from 137 Matches
- 7. Pele (Brazil) 77 from 92 Matches
- 8. Kunishige Kamamoto (Japan) 75 from 76 Matches
- 9. Bashar Abdullah (Kuwait) 75 from 134 Matches
- 10. Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) 75 from 68 Matches
- 11. Sunil Chhetri (India) 75 from 117 Matches