Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian football team, won the 2023 SAFF Championship last week in Bengaluru and is right now on everyone's lips.

As a result of winning three trophies, Sunil Chhetri aims for the Asian Cup and believes he can surpass Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the contribution of the national team. It goes without saying that Sunil Chhetri is one of the most decorated players in the history of Indian football. He has 93 goals in 142 appearances for the Indian national team, making him 4th in the all-time leading scorer.  India Win SAFF Championship 2023, Beat Kuwait 5-4 On Penalties.

"There's no comparison with the rest of the nine names on the list. I mean, I am a fan of players like Ronaldo and Messi, just like so many other fans of them. There's just no comparison, and I don't take this list, or whatever this list is, too seriously. But, yes, when it comes to representing the national team, I can be Sunil Chhetri was quoted as saying by Hindustan times.

The 38-year-old acknowledges with humility the support, adulation, and encouragement he has received from the Indian Football Team.  While acknowledging an encouraging change in fans' perceptions of Indian football, Chhetri stresses the need for both the squad and the supporters to maintain their sincerity and caution. Fans Sing 'Vande Mataram' As Indian Football Team Wins SAFF Championship 2023 At Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru (Watch Video)

"There was never a problem with the match-going fans, but yes, there has been an increase in the number of people who have started talking about football, and I think that's a really good thing. I can sense the atmosphere is changing. But at the same time, I know we have jumped up a few ranks, we still have a long way to go. We have to just keep up the good work and stay focused on where we want to reach now." Chhetri said.

In the upcoming Asian Cup, Sunil Chhetri says the team will aim to perform well. "The Asian Cup is like the World Cup for us. It is right at the very top of our list, and therefore, performing our best there is paramount. I don't mean to put this pressure on the boys, but we should be qualifying for the Asian Cup every time," the Indian football team captain said.

"Right now, international football is such that no one knows what will happen, and underdogs, too, can win! You just never know what is going to happen in football. That's why we have to give our best, and that's a message I am trying to send to the rest of the team," he added.

He has been the captain for more than a decade now and is arguably one of the most decorated skippers of all time. His individual stats for the team prove he has been leading the team from the front. Chhetri is in the all-time top 10 list of highest goal scorers for their international teams, right alongside the names of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

It remains to be seen if Chhetri can do even better for the national team than Messi and Ronaldo. He is unquestionably one of the finest football players in Indian history and has the ability to go down as one of the all-time greats.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2023 02:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).