Top 5 Best Football Players in India: Football is considered to be the most favorite and famous sport in the world and its craze is present in every corner of the world. If seen in India, the craze of cricket is more than football, but the way India's football team is performing on big stages, it will not be surprising if the craze of Indian football is also seen in the world in the coming years.
Football is not a new thing in India, this game has been played for years. In the olden times, the military also used to form their own teams and play this game with each other. Let's know about the 5 greatest Indian footballers of all time.
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Jeje Lalpekhlua Phanai (born 7 January 1991) represented seven clubs in 13 years and scored 23 goals in 56 games for the national team. He is a two-time Indian Super League winner with Chennaiyin FC, winning the cup in 2015–16 and 2017–18 and the league's Emerging Player of the Year in 2015. Jeje also won the SAFF Championship in 2011 and 2015, the Intercontinental Cup in 2017 and 2018 and the AIFF Player of the Year in 2016.
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Bhaichung Bhutia (born 15 December 1976) is an Indian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Bhutia is considered the pioneer of Indian football in the international arena. He is nicknamed the Sikkimese Sniper due to his shooting skills in football. He is known for his powerful shots and accuracy in front of goal. He has played internationally for India on 80 occasions. Bhaichung Bhutia's Net Worth is 5 Million. He has received the Arjuna Award (1988), Padma Shri (2008) and Padma Bhushan (2014). He has also been called "God's Gift to Indian football".
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Subrata Pal (born 24 November) is a brilliant goalkeeper who plays for ATK Mohun Bagan in the ISL (Indian Super League). He is also known as 'Spider Man'. He has played internationally at every age. He first came into the limelight during the Under-23 World Cup qualifiers where he saved goals. He also helped the team qualify for the group stage after being successful in the penalty shoot-out against Myanmar. He is a graduate of the Tata Football Academy and started his senior career with ATK Mohun Bagan in 2004.
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The second name in this list is former Indian player Sunil Chhetri (born August 3, 1984) played for the Indian national football team and Bengaluru in the ISL (Indian Super League) and is the captain of both teams. He is known for his amazing goal scoring abilities and brilliant team leadership. He took Indian football to new heights. He is also known as 'Captain Fanstastic'. His Net Worth is 1 Million.
Sunil Chhetri was named 'Asian Icon' by the AFC on his 34th birthday. In his first match at the SAFF Championship 2023, Sunil Chhetri scored a hattrick against arch-rivals Pakistan to help his side win 4-0. Sunil Chhetri made his debut for the Indian national football team in 2005 against Pakistan in Quetta where he also scored a goal. With the hattrick at SAFF 2023, he has become the fourth Indian to score a hattrick against Pakistan. The previous three players to score a hattrick against Pakistan are Puran Bahadur Thapa, IM Vijayan, and Jeje Lalpekhlua. With 90 goals, Indian captain Sunil Chhetri is also the fourth-highest international goal-scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo (123), Ali Daei (109), and Lionel Messi (103).
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The first name in this list is of the greatest Indian footballer P.K. Banerjee. P.K. Banerjee was a striker who played for the Indian National Football Team in 45 matches and scored 15 goals for the team. He was the first recipient of the Arjuna Award in 1961 and also received the prestigious Padma Shri in 1990. In 1990, he was named 'Indian Footballer Of The 20th Century' by IFFHS. In 2004, Banerjee received the FIFA Order of Merit which is the highest honor given by FIFA. He also captained the team and later became a coach.
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