Mumbai, June 04: Indian football marvel Sunil Chhetri, has now become the second highest international goal scorer (list of current active players).He is currently at par with Argentina's Lionel Messi and only behind Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. His brace helped India win against Kenya 2-0 in the Hero Inter-continental Cup. Sunil's double in the finals has taken his tally to 64 goals in 102 matches. This raises the question, Is Sunil Chhetri, a better football player than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? And, Has Sunil Chhetri Better Goal Conversion Than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? The Current Scoring Comparison Chart Says So!

Well, with all due respect to the Indian football captain, it sounds like an exaggerated praise. However, when it comes to scoring goals at an international level, he certainly is! If you do not believe us, then take a look at the numbers.

The star Indian footballer became the second-highest goal scoring (active) player in the game, equaling Lionel Messi's record of 64 goals. Sunil Chhetri, who has 64 goals in 102 matches now, sits pretty comfortably at the second spot along with Argentina’s Lionel Messi’s tally of 64 goals. Sunil is now only behind Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal’s star player has scored 81 goals so far in his international career and is at the apex of all time highest goal scoring players list in international matches.

However, if one looks at the statistics closely, one can say that Sunil Chhetri has been performing better than both Ronaldo and Messi – arguably the greatest players in football history.

Comparison amongst Sunil Chettri, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi in terms of Goals Scored in International Career:

Sr. No. Player Team Matches Goals Goals/Game
1. Sunil Chhetri India 102 64 0.61
2. Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 149 81 0.54
3. Lionel Messi Argentina 124 64 0.52

The numbers don’t lie, do they? If the above-mentioned statistics are to go by, one can clearly see that Sunil Chhetri is a better goal-scorer then Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, when it comes to scoring goals at international level.

With FIFA World Cup 2018 round the corner, the spotlight will be on both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. With the duo tipped off to lift the coveted trophy for their respective teams, both Ronaldo and Messi will have enough opportunities to increase their goal tally and thereby improve their goals per game average. For now, it is India’s Sunil Chettri who is leading the way!

As for Sunil Chhetri, the Indian team is scheduled to play South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Suzuki Cup in September, later this year. Watch Videos of Sunil Chhetri, World's Third Best Active Football Player, in Terms of Goals Scored.

Looking at the future schedule of all the three players, it seems the debate of scoring better at an international level amongst Sunil Chhetri, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi is not going to end soon!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 10, 2018 10:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).