Indian football players have changed the game over the decades with their international approaches. These players started off from humble starts, climbing up to become global phenoms. Every one of them has reached peak legendary status as football grows into a beloved sport that Indians love. Today, we’ll be shining a light on five of the most celebrated football players in India, and how they’ve shaped the game for their fellow countrymen.
Top 5 Indian Football Players Who Shaped the Sport
Every one of these athletes have not only set the standard for future Indian footballers, but have also shown amazing qualities. Those, being, skill and leadership, that will inspire young guns to play like their veterans. You can take a look at the top five football players from India that’s stood out in many years and have had the best odds on 12BET!
1) Sunil Chhetri – Captain Fantastic
Known to be the “face of modern Indian football”, Sunil Chhetri has capped his career with many wins. He is one of the top-scoring Indian football players with over 70 international goals! Sunil has played both striker and winger during his football career. He is also an incredible leader on and off field, captaining both the Indian national football team and even Bengaluru FC at some point.
One known highlight for him is his performance during the 2019 Asian Cup. Sunil scored twice in the opening match against Thailand, winning India 4-1 in it. He’s now called Captain Fantastic without reason!
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2) Bhaichung Bhutia – The Sikkimese Sniper
As far as pioneering Indian football players go, striker Bhaichung Bhutia is the man. He was the first Indian football player to ever sign with a European club (Bury FC in England). Not only that, but he’s even represented the Indian football team about 84 times now from 1995 to 2011. In fact, he’s called the “Sikkimese Sniper” for his way of finishing matches and leading teams.
On 12BET Sports, you can learn all about other major Indian football players. But not just that – you can also read about match highlights from other popular Indian sports like kabaddi and cricket.
3) IM Vijayan – The People’s Champion
The “Kalo Harin” (Black Buck) of Indian footballers, I.M. Vijayan has indeed stolen the hearts of many fans for his fast playing pace and power. He has played striker in his footballing career and scored over 40 goals in his 79 matches while playing for India. Notably, he’s been dubbed Indian Player of the Year thrice, this being in 1993, 1997, and 1999. This striker had scored one of the fastest international goals back in the 1999 SAG Games. It’s where he scored goals for India against Bhutan, doing so in only 12 seconds!
4) Subrata Pal – The Wall of India of Indian football players
Subrata Pal was featured in the U-23 in pre-Olympic qualifiers when he played for India. At the time, he had led the team to qualify in the group stages. An active participant in international matches, he also played for ATK Mohun Bagan in the ISL (Indian Super League) when he was 18. From 2007 to 2017, he played for India for 67 matches. As a goalkeeper, he has led the Indian national football team as captain in 2015. This was in a match against Nepal where India won 2-0 for World Cup qualifiers.
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Of all the goalkeepers in the history of Indian football players, he was known to be one of the best goalkeepers for the country. So much so that he even received the Arjuna Award, given by the government, only a year later after his 2015 stint in the World Cup qualifiers.
5) Jeje Lalpekhlua – The Mizo Sniper
Jeje Lalpekhlua is the forward Indian footballer that’s achieved legendary status! He is the second highest Indian player scorer for the ISL. Some key years for him were 2015 and 2018 as a footballer. Particularly, in 2015, where he won the ISL with Chennaiyin and the I-league with Mohun Bagan. On top of that, he’s even been titled FPAI Football Player of the Year. He has already retired and has headed into the world of Indian politics.
Final Words
All these Indian football players embody many things. Grit, talent, and the evolution of Indian football, to name a few. Their athletic careers are celebrated still and remembered by Indian football fans. Indian footballers continue to make waves locally and internationally. While India has yet to make it to the big stage (World Cup), they’re already slowly climbing into the global stage.
To learn more about these heroic players, and other Indian athletes who represent their country in other sports like cricket, you can visit 12BET India!