Sunil Chhetri's Missed Premier League Dream: The QPR Story

Today, we are at Loftus Road Stadium, the home of former Premier League club Queens Park Rangers (QPR). And we are going to tell a very interesting story.

With Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal as its owner, QPR is one of only a few clubs with owners of Indian origin. But did you know Indian football star Sunil Chhetri was about to play for this club in the Premier League? Yes, you heard it right. He signed a 3-year professional contract for the Rs but could not play for the club because he didn't get the UK visa.

According to UK visa regulations at that time, it was not possible for a player to get a UK visa if their FIFA ranking was more than 70. And as India was ranked outside the top 70 in FIFA rankings, he missed out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If he had played in the Premier League, would the future of Indian football have been different? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.