By The moment when the ball leaves the boot is the reason billions of people hold their breath. The moment when the world goes quiet, that’s the football. We are talking about one of the living legends of the football industry- Sunil Chhetri. He is considered the king in the field of football: the unstoppable Sunil Chhetri is the nickname given to him by his fans.
While watching the match, every football fan has a wide smile on their face as the legend comes on the screen. For over two decades, he has been keeping that smile on people’s faces and has become the voice and soul of football. From scoring unstoppable goals to leading a football team, he has created history in the world of football.
Let’s know the story of the legend, his life, career, net worth, and everything you want to know in this blog.
Who is Sunil Chhetri?
Sunil Chhetri is a living legend of the football world, who has been undefeated in various matches in national and international tournaments. He was born on August 3, 1984, in Secunderabad and was always destined to play football. With an army background, Sunil’s father played for the Indian Army Team, and his mother was a part of the national football team of Nepal. So football was in his blood; he was born with the skills.
Sunil started his career in football in 2002 in Mohun Bagan, and now he plays for the Indian Super League Club Bengaluru. He is considered the top scorer for the Indian National Team and the fourth-highest international goalscorer.
Sunil Chhetri has also played for major Indian clubs like Bengaluru FC and Kansas City Wizards in the USA and Sporting CP “B” in Portugal.
Do you know why he became so famous? It’s because of his unbreakable records in international matches. He even stands alongside the OG players of the football world, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He became the top scorer in various matches. Below is the breakdown of his top scores in international matches:
| Competition | Goals | Matches |
| SAFF Championship | 23 | 27 |
| FIFA World Cup qualifiers | 10 | 24 |
| Nehru Cup | 9 | 14 |
| AFC Asian Cup qualifiers | 8 | 15 |
| AFC Challenge Cup | 4 | 8 |
| Intercontinental Cup | 13 | 11 |
| AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers | 3 | 6 |
| AFC Asian Cup | 4 | 8 |
| King’s Cup | 1 | 1 |
| Merdeka Cup | 1 | 1 |
| International friendlies | 19 | 41 |
Sunil Chhetri: Net Worth
An athlete or a sports enthusiast is always very curious to know how much a sports person earns. If someone is thinking of taking football as their career, it is important to know the average income. The average net worth of Sunil Chhetri is around ₹8 to ₹12.5 crore (approximately $1 million to $1.5 million USD).
Although India’s football federal system doesn’t provide much salary, Sunil Chhetri has built his empire with a mix of his incomes, such as:
- Club salaries
- Brand endorsements
- Investments
As the star player of Bengaluru FC, he was the highest-paid Indian football player. People loved him and were excited to see him become the face of their favorite brand. So he was getting endorsements from big brands like Adidas, Nike, and Puma, and other sports brands were eagerly waiting to sign him up.
Common Questions People Are Curious to Know About Sunil Chhetri
When did Sunil Chhetri retire from international football?
Sunil Chhetri retired from international football in late 2025. His final international match was on June 6, 2024, against Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup. It was an emotional moment for all his fans as he walked off the pitch after the final match. Ending his 19-year international career.
Many fans are worried if this is the end of the Indian football team.
How many international goals has Sunil Chhetri scored?
Sunil Chhetri retired from international football after appearing in 151 matches in India and scoring 94 international goals. This made him the fourth-highest international goalscorer after Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ali Daei.
What is the rank of Sunil Chhetri?
Sunil Chhetri is the fourth-highest international goalscorer in men’s football history. He is globally ranked behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Ali Daei, and Lionel Messi.
How did Sunil Chhetri meet his wife?
Sunil Chhetri met his wife, Sonam Bhattacharya, in 2003 by chance after she secretly acquired his phone number from her father’s phone and texted him claiming to be a “big fan”. At the time, Sunil was an 18-year-old rising football star, and Sonam was 15.
