Top 10 Indian Football Players In 2023
Football is a worldwide phenomenon, not just one more pastime. Even individuals who are often uninterested in sports pay attention to events like the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro, and Copa America. A sizable fan base for football exists in India as well. Most college get-togethers include discussions of the top football players and renowned football teams. Not to mention that many of us watch games featuring our preferred football clubs until far after midnight. Unfortunately, despite football's enormous popularity in India, our nation's football players seldom receive that degree of attention. Only a small number of people watch the Indian national football team's matches in a nation with approximately 1.5 billion people.
But over the past few years, things have been gradually getting better. The national football team's outstanding success is also pushing Indian football into the mainstream, whilst the Indian Super League has a significant part to play in this transformation. Players like Sandesh Jhingan, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and Sunil Chhetri have begun to get widespread recognition.
We think it's a good idea to have a look at the top 10 Indian football players in 2023 after India defeated Kuwait in the final of the 2023 South Asian Football Federation Championship at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
10. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu:
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, one of the most well-known goalkeepers in Indian football, competes for Bengaluru FC in the ISL as well as the Indian national football team on the international stage. The 31-year-old is significantly taller than his teammates, being 198 cm tall. Although his height gives him an advantage over other goalkeepers, it is not his physical build that makes him one nasty guard between the posts. Sandhu's agility and lightning-quick reactions have been the secret to his success.
The record holder for India's clean sheet players is Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who recorded his 24th against Lebanon in the 2023 SAFF Championship semifinals. He also has a sterling record of clean sheets at the domestic level. In reality, Sandhu won the ISL Golden Glove Award twice in consecutive seasons (2018–19 and 2019–20), which is a record.
In his debut game as captain, Sandhu led the Indian national football team to a 4-1 victory over Puerto Rico. He has also served as an assistant coach for the Indian national team. In 2019, the Indian squad played under his direction and earned a commendable goalless draw against a Qatar team that was far better.
When Gurpreet Singh Sandhu participated in a UEFA Europa League game in 2016 while playing for the Norwegian team Stabaek, he set a record for being the only Indian football player to do so.
09. Sandesh Jhingan:
You simply cannot compile a list of the top Indian football players for 2023 without include Sandesh Jhingan. For the past several years, the Indian center-back has served as a solid barrier in the team's defensive backline.
Sandesh Jhingan gained notoriety as a result of his contributions to the 2014 ISL's debut season. A youthful Jhingan played very well while representing the Kerala Blasters, leading his club to the championship game. Even though the Kerala-based team was defeated by Atletico de Kolkata for the championship, Jhingan was praised for his work during the season and given the Emerging Player of the Season award.
A few times, the defender served as captain of the Indian football team. In 2018, Sandesh Jhingan, who was wearing the captain's armband, guided the Indian national football team to a scoreless draw with the mighty Chinese national side. As a consequence, India maintained its unbeaten record on Chinese territory for the first time in its football history. The Men's Player of the Year Award for the 2020–21 by All India Football Federation was given to Jhingan. When he signed a one-year contract with the Croatian First Football League team Sibenik, he also has the distinction of being the only Indian football player to play in Croatia.
08. Anwar Ali:
Anwar Ali, who is only 22 years old, has already established himself as a significant member of the current Indian football squad. On March 23, 2023, the young phenom made his debut for his country against Belarus in a friendly game while playing for the current national team coach, Igor Stimac. Ali's first goal came on June 14 against Hong Kong in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifying, three months into his international career.
Anwar Ali has so far represented seven different clubs at the domestic level. He played for FC Goa and appeared in 30 ISL games. He only managed one goal in India's premier league. Sadly, in 2019 Anwar Ali received a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition. The AIFF forbade him from playing football because of his illness. Ali was eventually granted permission to play again thanks to the Delhi High Court decision.
07. Pritam Kotal:
Pritam Kotal, a seasoned defender for India's national team who was born and raised in the outskirts of Kolkata, has years of experience playing both domestically and internationally. Under the then-coach Stephen Constantine, he made his debut for the national team in 2015, and he hasn't looked back since. In 2016 and 2023, as well as in 2018 with the Indian football team, Kotal won the SAFF Championship and the Intercontinental Cup.
Pritam Kotal has been a dependable presence in the Mohun Bagan camp on the domestic front for almost ten years. The majority of his career has been spent playing for the Kolkata-based club, despite stints with FC Pune City, Atletico de Kolkata, and Delhi Dynamos in between.
Kotal assisted Mohun Bagan in winning their first I-League championship in 2015. After that, Kotal took part in Atletico de Kolkata's 2016 ISL campaign and helped them win their second (and his first!) ISL championship. He emulated his 2016 feats with ATK in the 2019–20 campaign as the Kolkata-based team won their third ISL championship.
In 2020, ATK and Mohun Bagan merged, allowing Pritam Kotal to reappear in the maroon-and-green shirt. In March 2023, the Bengali defender led Mohun Bagan to their first triumph in the ISL.
06. Rowllin Borges:
Few people have heard of Rowllin Borges, a midfielder who has been a member of the Indian national football squad for a sizable length of time. The 31-year-old Goan football player may not have a sizable fan base, but he has the luxury of keeping both domestic and international championships in his trophy cabinet.
In 2015, Rowllin Borges made his debut abroad. Soon after, he and the Blue Tigers won the SAFF Championship in 2016. At the 2018 Intercontinental Cup, where India's squad defeated Kenya by a score of 2-0, he won his second international title on behalf of India.
When Mumbai City FC finished first in their group in the 2020–21 ISL, they took home the League Winners Shield, giving Borges his first domestic prize. A few days later, he contributed to his team's first-ever ISL championship victory.
05. Anirudh Thapa:
Anirudh Thapa has established himself as a dependable starter for the Indian national football team during the past several years. Since making his international debut in 2017, Thapa has won the SAFF Championship in 2021, two Intercontinental Cups (in 2018 and 2023) and two Tri-Nation Series (in 2017 and 2023). The midfielder has over 45 appearances and four goals in six years of international football.
Anirudh Thapa has been a familiar sight in the Chennaiyin FC camp since 2016 in the domestic arena. He assisted the Chennai-based team in winning their second ISL championship in 2017–18. In the ISL 2021–2022, Thapa also served as Chennaiyin FC's captain.
The centre midfielder, who is 25 years old, has received several honours while playing for India. AIFF Men's Emerging Footballer of the Year honours have twice been given to him, in 2017–18 and 2019–20, respectively.
04. Bipin Singh Thounaojam:
In 2021, against Oman, Bipin Singh Thounaojam made his international football team debut for India. The winger, who is 28 years old, contributed significantly to India's victory in the Tri-Nation Series in 2023.
Bipin Singh Thounaojam has made 86 appearances in the ISL and has scored 21 goals. He was a member of the Mumbai City FC squad that won the ISL championship and League Winners Shield in 2020–21.
Bipin Singh Thounaojam has only participated in seven games for the Indian national team, but he already has the makings of a future trustworthy team player.
03. Udanta Singh Kumam:
Udanta Singh Kumam has recently played an important role in the offensive line for the Indian football team. He played his first game for his country's football team against Iran in 2016 and has since played 44 times for it. In addition, he scored thrice while representing India. With the Indian team, Kumam has won the Intercontinental Cup in 2018 and 2023 as well as the SAFF Championship in 2021.
Udanta Singh Kumam has been a consistent starter for Bengaluru FC for about ten years. With the Bengaluru-based club, he has won several trophies, most notably the I-League in 2015–16, the ISL in 2018–19, and the Durand Cup in 2022. Additionally, he played for Bengaluru FC, which placed second in the 2016 AFC Cup. He has 22 goals for Bengaluru FC.
02. Lallianzuala Chhangte:
Lallianzuala Chhangte has been around for a while, but it has only been in the last few years that his career has gained its footing. One of the quickest Indian players to ever play the game, the gifted winger, is 26 years old. Chhangte surpassed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the ISL 2017 by clocking a peak pace of 35.8 kph! He is often referred to as the "Mizo Flash" because of his amazing speed.
Since his debut in 2015, Chhangte has been in 26 games for the Indian national team and has six goals to his name. In addition to the Tri-Nation Series and the Intercontinental Cup in 2023, he also won the SAFF Championship in 2015 and 2023. Lallianzuala Chhangte received the 2022–2023 AIFF Men's Player of the Year Award. In addition to winning the 2023 Tri-Nation Series Player of the Tournament honour, he also received the ISL Hero of the League award in 2022–2023 season.
01. Sunil Chhetri:
Sunil Chhetri, an extraordinary human who plays in a league of his own, has come to be associated with Indian football. The 38-year-old attacker is regarded as Indian football's greatest legend. Chhetri is the driving force behind the recent comeback of Indian football, and his popularity much exceeds that of the whole Indian football squad.
Seven years after making his international football debut, Sunil Chhetri, also known as "Captain Fantastic," was appointed captain of the Indian national team in 2012. He has since guided India to more tournament successes.
In the Indian domestic league, Chhetri has been a consistent starter for Bengaluru FC for the past ten years, helping them achieve I-League championships in 2013–14 and 2015–16 as well as an ISL championship winning 2028-19.
Throughout his long career, Chhetri has also competed in five games for Sporting CP of Portugal. He is one of five Indian football players who have competed in Europe.
With 92 goals, Sunil Chhetri ranks third among active football players in international football and leads the country of India in goals scored. Chhetri is fourth overall in football history, behind contemporary giants Lionel Messi (103 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (123 goals).
Over the years, Chhetri has received many honours for his efforts, the most prominent of which is the Khel Ratna Award from the Indian government. In 2021, he received India's highest sporting accolade. Additionally, he was given the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour in India in the year 2019. He is the gold footballer of our country, India.
