5 famous foreign footballers you had no idea Indians played with

Joao Mario (R) won the Euro 2016 with Portugal

#4 Joao Mario

Joao Mario played a key role in Portugal’s Euro 2016 victory last year, but he started off his senior career in the lower reaches of Portuguese football. Mario, who now plays at Inter Milan, was a team-mate of Chhetri’s at Sporting B and therefore, played together with the Indian national team captain.

Like Dier, Mario’s time on the pitch with Chhetri was also minimal. Mario was on the pitch for Sporting B when Chhetri made his short appearances against Freamunde and Braga B, but that doesn’t quantify the experience India’s all-time record goalscorer gained during his exchanges with a future European champion.