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Sunil Chhetri was conferred with the title of 'Asian Icon’ by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the game’s continental governing body, on the occasion of his birthday on 3rd August 2018.
Captain Fantastic, as he is popularly known, has scored a whopping 64 goals in 101 appearances for the Indian National Football Team, making him the all-time top scorer for the country.
In the throwback of Chhetri's illustrious journey, the AFC wrote:
"In the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, to be the third highest scoring international footballer in the world is no mean feat, and for an Asian player to be within one goal of Messi's 65 goals for a national team is a record our latest inductee to the 'Asian Icons' list should be proud of."
The 34-year-old is a goal-scoring machine and has always come to the rescue of his team whenever it was in a dire situation. The talismanic leader is truly an inspiration and this exceptional title is icing on the cake. The soft-spoken Chhetri is a treat to watch on the field and is undoubtedly one of Asia's greatest footballers of the present day. The humility of the man even after achieving so much is commendable.
The Indian National team will soon be locking horns with Asia's finest at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. There is no guessing who will be the leader then as Chhetri is showing no signs of slowing down.
Right from his early days at Mohun Bagan to JCT to East Bengal, Dempo, Chirag United, Churchill Brothers, Mumbai City, and Bengaluru FC, the striker has grown a lot as a player. Chhetri will be staying with Bengaluru FC till 2021 as he has extended his contract.
Even the state body of the sport in Delhi decided to celebrate his birthday as 'Football Delhi Day,' making it a momentous occasion indeed.
Also Read: Sunil Chhetri awarded 2017 AIFF Player of the year
During the four-nation Intercontinental Cup, which recently took place in Mumbai, Chhetri posted an emotional video on Twitter asking the fans to come and show more support for the National team. The Indian football fans did not disappoint and turned up in huge numbers, filling the entire stadium. It is amazing how much a man can do singlehandedly and the influence he can generate.
The title of ‘Asian Icon’ is truly fitting for Chhetri and he could not have asked for a better gift on his birthday. Sportskeeda wishes that the Bengaluru FC skipper has a great year ahead and keeps bringing delight to Indian footballing fans like he always has.
