"When it comes to giving your best for the country, I can beat even Messi and Ronaldo" - Sunil Chhetri makes defiant claim

Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri recently made a defiant claim, saying he could beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when it comes to giving his best for his country.

Chhetri is an Indian professional footballer who plies his trade for Indian Super League side Bengaluru and captains the Indian national team. He is renowned for his threat in front of goal, leadership and is regarded as the best footballer in India's history.

The 38-year recently captained India to their ninth SAFF Championship, helping beat Kuwait in the finals. The game ended 1-1 in normal team with India clinching the contest 5-4 in the penalty shootout.

Sunil Chhetri had a prolific tournament, finishing as the top-scorer with five goals. This included a hat-trick against Pakistan in their group stage contest. This meant his goal tally rose to 92 from just 142 appearances - the most in Indian history.

The Bengaluru superstar has now won 11 major trophies for his country. He emphasized his focus on winning trophies, rather than individual glory in an interview with News18, saying:

“When it comes to giving your best for the country, I can beat even Messi and Ronaldo."

In the process, the India skipper overtook Mokhtar Dahari's total count of 89 goals to become the second-highest goal-scorer in Asian history, just behind Ali Daei (109).

Chhetri also became the third-highest goal-scorer among active players (and fourth overall), just behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. This shows the consistency and impact he has had on Asian football.

Cristiano Ronaldo has the most international goals in football history. He has made 200 appearances, scoring 132 goals and providing 33 assists. He has won two trophies for Portugal, including the 2016 UEFA European Championship.

Lionel Messi is the third-highest goal-scorer with 103 goals and 54 assists in 175 appearances. He has won three trophies for Argentina, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Comparing both superstar's careers at club level

Cristiano Ronaldo has established himself as arguably the best international footballer of all time, despite not winning the World Cup. Both Lionel Messi and the Portugal icon have contested the GOAT debate over the years so let's analyze their club career stats:

Ronaldo has made 968 appearances in all competitions in his club career, scoring 715 goals and providing 203 assists. He has also won 30 major trophies and has played in more leagues than Messi, including the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A. The 38-year-old currently plays for Saudi side Al-Nassr. He scored 14 goals in 19 games for his new club, who he joined in December.

On the other hand, the Argentine ace has made 853 appearances across all competitions, scoring 704 goals and providing 303 assists. He has also won 38 trophies, with the bulk of his success coming with Barcelona.

The 36-year-old recently joined MLS club Inter Miami after ending his contract at Paris-Saint Germain. Messi also won the 2022 FIFA World Cup last year, winning the Golden Ball award for the second time in his career, the only player to do so.