India's Best Football Player: Why Sunil Chhetri is the Greatest of All Time

Who is India's Best Football Player?

India's best football player, by any measure, is Sunil Chhetri. The all-time top scorer for the Indian men's national team, Chhetri scored 94 goals in 151 appearances — a tally that makes him the fourth-highest international goalscorer in the history of men's football, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ali Daei. No other Indian footballer has come remotely close to this record.

As of late 2025, the 41-year-old forward remains the most prolific goalscorer in the history of Indian football. His career total stands at over 272 goals for club and country — a number that continues to grow.

While India is not a footballing country yet, every once in a while there comes along a player who has the chutzpah to lift your heart. PK Banerjee, I.M. Vijayan, and Bhaichung Bhutia have all achieved legendary status, and then there is Sunil Chhetri, who, for the last 19 years, has been playing in a league of his own.

94 goals in 150 games for India makes him the third-highest active international goalscorer behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

He's the only Indian to have played domestic football in three continents, with stints at Kansas City and Sporting Lisbon. Obviously, he is the top Indian goalscorer in both the ISL and the I League, with 61 and 90 goals, respectively.

India's No. 11 is also the first Indian footballer to win the Khel Ratna, which is the highest sporting honour in the country, and he's also the recipient of the Padma Shri, which is India's fourth-highest civilian award.

Retirement and Comeback

Chhetri retired from international football in June 2024 following India's goalless draw against Kuwait at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. It was an emotional farewell in front of a packed home crowd. But the story didn't end there. In March 2025, Chhetri came out of retirement aged 40, returning to the national team for India's AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualification campaign. India head coach Manolo Marquez said the qualification for the Asian Cup was crucial, and he personally discussed a comeback with Chhetri, who agreed.

It speaks volumes about the state of Indian football that even at 40, the country's best player is still its most indispensable one.