A look at Sunil Chhetri's goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Nov 16, 2023
New Delhi [India], November 16 : Indian Football Team skipper Sunil Chhetri has proved himself as one of the greatest players in the history of Indian football.
Chhetri stands in third place on the highest active international goal scorers' list, just after two all-time football legends, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 39-year-old has helped Indian football gain recognition worldwide and helped the 'Blue Tigers' win matches in many games. The Indian skipper's contribution to Indian football have helped India climb up in the FIFA rankings and bag multiple trophies.
In the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Chhetri has got the back of the net nine times after playing 19 matches.
As India steps into the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, let's take a look at the goals Chhetri has scored in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers so far:
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Chhetri scored 2 goals. He scored against Lebanon during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, one in each leg. In 2007, he scored the opener to give an early lead to the Blue Tigers, however, they ended the match with a 1-4 loss.
Chhetri scored his second goal in the reverse fixture, at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa, where they shared points with Lebanon after a 2-2 draw.
The 39-year-old doubled his tally from the 2010 Qualifiers round as he bagged four goals during the 2018 campaign. He scored a brace against Nepal to clinch a 2-0 win in round one. He followed it up by scoring the equaliser against Oman in their 2-1 loss at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore. Later, the captain got the back of the net of the campaign during their 2-1 loss against Guam in the form of a last-minute consolation goal.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Chhetri scored 3 goals. His opener came against Oman to give the 'Blue Tigers' a lead but still Oman snatched a 2-1 victory after scoring two late goals. Chhetri managed another brace to his name when they defeated Bangladesh by 2-0.
In the World Cup 2026 qualifiers round, India have drawn alongside Qatar, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. The 'Blue Tigers' need to secure a top-two spot to advance to the next round.
India has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Since 1990, India have regularly participated in the qualifiers round of the tournament, but could never make it to the final round.
