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Sunil Chhetri has opened up about meeting Lionel Messi during the GOAT on Sunday, December 14. He disclosed that he is recovering from an injury, but the fan in him still went to attend the event to have a chat with the Argentine.
Lionel Messi's India tour
Lionel Messi visited four cities in India during his GOAT Tour with Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez. They visited the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata and the Rajiv Gandhi International cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on December 13. Then they visited the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on December 14.
Sunil Chhetri meets Lionel Messi
Former Indian football skipper, Sunil Chhetri also attended the event in Mumbai and met the three superstars. He was spotted having a chat with Messi, who gave him an Argentina jersey. Chhetri posted a picture of himself with the Inter Miami skipper on Instagram on Monday, writing in the caption:
"The build-up to Saturday was filled with little fights, and in a rare win, Sunil Chhetri the fan beat Sunil Chhetri the pro, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I’ve been nursing an injury that’s restricted me to a hobble and needless to say, I don’t like being around even myself when I’m spending more time on the physios table than the pitch.
Chhetri also expressed his gratitude for Lionel Messi, writing:
"To be able to express my gratitude to @leomessi in person for everything that he has done for our sport, felt like both - a dream and a duty. It was lovely to meet another World Cup winner in Rodrigo De Paul, and then there was the child-like excitement to share the frame with arguably the most complete No.9 of our generation - Luis Suarez.
"And Mumbai, you absolute beauty, thank you for making me feel so loved. I do not take it for granted. At the end of it, I guess, both the Chhetri’s turned up on Saturday and the joy was twice as much. 🤍"
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Rodrigo De Paul wrapped up their GOAT Tour with a visit to the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Monday.
When Chhetri picked his GOAT between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Sunil Chhetri also picked his favorite between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in an interview with Raj Sharmani, released on July 4, 2024. He said:
"Between these two [Messi and Ronaldo]? Ronaldo. I have learned and followed him a lot: the hard work bit, the being disciplined bit. I'm not saying Messi is not, but I have less knowledge about what he has done for it. Of Ronaldo's, I've read more, I've seen more, and I love to follow him as a specimen."
Chhetri further added:
"I enjoy watching Messi more. Forget to play like them, because no one can. But to think 'I want to do something like this,' it's difficult even to think what Messi does. I'm not saying it's easier to follow, copy, or get inspired by Ronaldo, but it's just that the blueprint is easier to understand.
"When you see Messi, you think, 'Kya kar diya isne yaar? Kaise karoge?' [What has he done? How do you replicate it?]. It's magic in a way. He plays the game in a different manner."
Interestingly, Sunil Chhetri is fourth in the list of all-time top goal scorers in men's international football with 95 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo (143), Lionel Messi (115), and Ali Daei (108) form the Top 3.
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