| Sunil Chhetri Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 7 in |
| Weight | 70 kg |
| Date of Birth | August 3, 1984 |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Spouse | Sonam Bhattacharya |
Sunil Chhetri is an Indian professional soccer player who has represented, as a striker/winger, teams such as Mohun Bagan Athletic Club (2002–2005, 2011–2012), JCT FC (2005–2008), SC East Bengal (2008–2009), Dempo Sports Club (2009–2010), Chirag United (2011), Churchill Brothers FC Goa (2013), Bengaluru FC (2013–2015, 2016-Present), and Mumbai City FC (2015–2016) in India; Sporting Kansas City (2010) in the United States; and Sporting Clube de Portugal B (2012–2013) in Portugal. With Dempo, he had won the I-League in the 2009–10 season and with Churchill Brothers in the 2012–13 season. With Bengaluru FC, he has won the Indian Super League (2018-19), the I-League (2013–14, 2015–16), the Indian Federation Cup (2014–15, 2016–17), and the Super Cup (2018). He had also led the team to a fairytale runner-up finish in the 2016 AFC Cup (Asia’s continental club soccer competition). Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential soccer players in South Asia, he has led India to title triumphs at the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Challenge Cup (2008), the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation Championship) Championship (2011, 2015), the Nehru Cup (2007, 2009, 2012), and the Intercontinental Cup (2017, 2018). He has been the long-term captain of both India and Bengaluru FC.
Born Name
Sunil Chhetri
Nick Name
Captain Fantastic
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Secunderabad, Telangana, India
Residence
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Nationality
Occupation
Professional Soccer Player
Family
- Father – Kharga B. Chhetri (Former Officer in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers of the Indian Army, Former Soccer Player)
- Mother – Sushila Chhetri (Former Soccer Player)
- Siblings – Bandana Chhetri (Sister) (Talent Manager)
- Others – Subrata Bhattacharya (Father-in-Law) (Soccer Coach, Former Professional Soccer Player), Shaheb Bhattacharya (Brother-in-Law) (Actor). He has twin maternal aunts who had represented, like his mother, the Nepal women’s national soccer team.
Manager
He is represented by Bandana Chhetri, Manager and Booking Agent, FairPlay Sports, Delhi, India.
Shirt Number
- 58, 11 – India
- 9 – Mohun Bagan Athletic Club
- 9, 13 – JCT FC
- 11 – SC East Bengal, Bengaluru FC, Mumbai City FC
- 19 – Sporting Kansas City
- 38 – Sporting Clube de Portugal B
- 47 – Churchill Brothers FC Goa
Playing Position
Striker, Winger
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 7 in or 170 cm
Weight
70 kg or 154.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Sunil has dated –
- Sonam Bhattacharya (2017–Present) – Sunil got married to his long-term girlfriend Sonam Bhattacharya on December 4, 2017. In June 2023, Sunil announced that Sonam was pregnant after scoring his 86th international goal in the 80th minute of India’s Intercontinental Cup match against Vanuatu. In August 2023, they were blessed with a baby boy.
Race / Ethnicity
Asian
He is of Nepalese descent.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Short-cropped, spiked hair
- Clean-shaven look
Brand Endorsements
He has been sponsored by the sports goods manufacturing giant Puma.
Sunil Chhetri Facts
- As of June 2021, Sunil was the 12th-highest international goal-scorer of all time with 74 goals in 117 games. Among active players, only Cristiano Ronaldo (104 goals in 175 games) and Ali Mabkhout (75 goals in 91 games) had scored more.
- As of June 2021, along with being India’s greatest international goal-scorer, he was also India’s most-capped soccer player.
- As of June 2021, he had been named the ‘AIFF (All India Football Federation) Player of the Year’ a record 6 times (2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018–19). He had also been named the ‘FPAI (Football Players’ Association of India) Indian Player of the Year’ in both 2009 and 2018.
- In 2018, on his 34th birthday, he was honored with the title of ‘Asian Icon’ by the AFC (Asian Football Confederation).
- For his services to soccer, he has been awarded the Arjuna Award (the 2nd-highest sporting honor of India) in 2011 and the Padma Shri (India’s 4th-highest civilian award) in 2019.
- Sunil was honored with the Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honor in 2021. With this, he became the first footballer to receive the award.
- In September 2022, FIFA released a 3-episode documentary on FIFA+ called Captain Fantastic, which is based on his life.
- In March 2023, Sunil scored his 85th international goal during the Tri-Nation International Football Tournament in a match against Kyrgyz Republic. With this, he became the 5th highest goalscorer in the history of international football. At that time, he was also one of the 3rd most international goalscorers in the world among active players only behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
- In June 2023, his tally of international goals reached 90 after he scored a hat-trick against Pakistan in the 2023 SAFF Championship match. He was still the 3rd active footballer after Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the list of most international goals scored.
- In July 2023, Sunil revealed that he didn’t want to be recognized at airport bathrooms.
Featured Image by Sunil Chhetri / Instagram
