India recorded a well-known 4-0 win over their arch-rivals Pakistan of their opening South Asian Football Federation Championship 2023 match on June 21. The legendary Indian ahead Sunil Chhetri scored a sensational hat-trick within the historic sport to take his international targets tally to 90. Chhetri surpassed the long-lasting Malaysian footballer Mokhtar Dahari’s 89 targets record to grow to be the fourth-highest main goalscorer in world soccer.
Chhetri, 38, is now the main goalscorer amongst lively cricketers in international soccer after Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi. Ronaldo is presently enjoying within the Saudi Professional League with Al-Nassr membership and has scored 123 international targets thus far, together with 5 targets within the ongoing UEFA Euro Qualifiers 2024.
A day earlier than Chhetri’s hat-trick, Ronaldo additionally turned the first-ever footballer to make 200 international appearances. Ronaldo has been in nice type at each membership and nationwide ranges and is probably going to add appreciable targets to his tally sooner or later. Chhetri is unlikely to attain Ronaldo’s numbers in international soccer as breaking the present 33-goal distinction appears an unrealistic goal on the age of 38.
However, Chhetri has an opportunity to attain the third place, which is presently acquired by the Argentine skipper Lionel Messi. The former Barcelona and PSG legend has scored 103 targets in 175 international matches and just lately gained the FIFA World Cup 2022. Considering Chhetri’s present type and India’s upcoming video games at SAFF Cup 2023 and the subsequent yr’s Asia Cup, Chhetri is probably going to surpass Messi or shut the hole in goalscoring chart.
The former Iranian captain and legendary striker Ali Daei presently occupies the second spot with 109Â targets in simply 148 matches. Chhetri wants 19 targets to surpass Daei’s record to grow to be the all-time main goalscorer in Asia.
After Chhetri’s hat-trick at Kanteerava Stadium, Udanta Singh added one other purpose for India to add extra distress to the visiting facet. Indian workforce subsequent faces neighbors Nepal of their subsequent sport at SAFF Cup 2023 in Bengaluru on June 24. Nepal misplaced 1-3 in opposition to Kuwait of their first sport and presently sit within the no.3 place within the Group A desk.
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