Some players from India have more international goals than numerous famous European and South American players
When it comes to football, the Indian national football team is an average outfit. The team is not famous in the world and has never won a significant international trophy apart from a few in the Asian Games and SAFF Championship. However, in terms of scoring international goals, some of the Indian players have surpassed several European and South American football stars. Indeed, the Indian players play against small nations but it must be noted that India itself is not a major name in football and therefore, the players must be given the credit.
In the following paragraphs, we have written a brief about the top all-time goal scorers of India.
Sunil Chhetri- The first position is held by India’s star striker, Sunil Chhetri. Playing since 2005, the Indian captain has scored 74 international goals. By doing so, he has surpassed the greatest of all time Lionel Messi. So far, the active goal scorer has played 117 games for India which is also the highest by an Indian player.
Inivalappil Mani Vijayan- Popularly known as KaloHarin (Blackbuck in Bengali), Vijayan was a prolific striker during the 90s. He started his career in 1989 and retired in 2004. In those days, international matches were rare for India and therefore, Vijayan could only play 66 matches. In 66 matches, he scored 29 goals. One of the highest-earning Indian football players in that period, Vijayan was awarded the Indian Player of the Year award in 1993, 1997 and 1999.
Bhaichung Bhutia- Fondly called the Sikkimese Striker, Bhaichung Bhutia was a way better footballer when compared to other Indian footballers around him. To Vijayan, Bhutia was God’s gift to Indian football. From 1995 to 2011, Bhutia was an important part of the Indian national football team. During the period, he played 82 matches and scored 27 goals.
Shabbir Ali- The first Indian footballer to receive the Dhyan Chand Award, Shabbir Ali was one of the finest strikers of his time. His international career started in 1974 and ended in 1984. During this period, Ali played 66 matches and scored 23 goals. Not to forget, he scored the fastest hattrick in Indian football. In the next few months, Ali’s record is likely to be toppled by active player JejeLalpekhlua who has already scored 23 goals from 56 matches.
