Indian football has grown a lot in the last 10 years. The Indian Super League (ISL) started in 2014, and it has played a big role in improving football in the country. Recently, many talented young players have joined the national team, and some older players have become legends.
Here is a list of the Top 10 Indian football players.
10. Manvir Singh
Manvir Singh, at 25 years old, is seen as the future star of Indian football. With Jeje Lalpheklua and Robin Singh out of form, the Indian National Team had a gap to fill. Manvir, born in Punjab, has stepped up recently and is now considered one of the best Indian strikers.
He trained at Minerva Football Academy in Punjab and started his professional career with Minerva Punjab FC in 2015. Manvir is known for his versatility, playing both as a center forward and as a winger.
He has won the Indian Super League Shield (2019-20) and the Super Cup (2019) with FC Goa. In 2020, he joined ATK Mohun Bagan.
| Player Name | Manvir Singh |
|---|---|
| Positions | Centre Forward, Right Winger |
| National Appearances | 22 |
| Club Appearances | 98 |
| Goals Scored | 4 (Indian National Team) |
| 4 (Minerva Punjab) | |
| 2 (Mohammedan SC) | |
| 4 (FC Goa) | |
| 7 (ATK Mohun Bagan) | |
| Clubs Represented | ATK Mohun Bagan (Current Club) |
| FC Goa | |
| Southern Samity | |
| Mohammedan SC | |
| Minerva Punjab |
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9. Sahal Abdul Samad
Sahal Abdul Samad was born and grew up in Al Ain, UAE. His family is from Kerala, India, so he chose to play for the Indian National team. He started his youth career at Al-Ethihad Football Academy in 2012. After finishing school, he moved to Kannur, Kerala, for further studies and to play University Football.
He joined Kerala Blasters FC in 2017 and has played for both their main team and reserves team. He has also played for Kerala in the Santosh Trophy tournament. In 2019, he was selected to play for the Indian U-23 team and has since represented the senior Indian national team, the Blue Tigers.
Sahal was awarded the ISL Emerging Player and AIFF Emerging Player in 2019.
| Name | Sahal Abdul Samad |
|---|---|
| Positions | Attacking Midfielder, Central Midfielder, Left Winger |
| National Appearances | 10 |
| Club Appearances | 62 |
| Goals Scored | 1 (Kerala Blasters), 7 (Kerala Blasters B) |
| Clubs Represented | Kerala Blasters (Current Club) |
8. Pritam Kotal
Pritam Kotal is a 28-year-old defender from West Bengal, India. He is known as one of the best defenders in the country and currently plays for ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League. Kotal began his career with Pailan Arrows in the 2011/12 season. He is the first-choice right-back for the Indian national team and has also played as a center-back. Additionally, he has represented India at the U-19 and U-22 levels.
Kotal has won the Indian Super League title twice with ATK in 2016 and 2020, and he also won the I-League title with Mohun Bagan AC in 2015.
| Name | Pritam Kotal |
| Positions | Center-back, Left-back, Right-back |
| National Appearances | 39 |
| Club Appearances | 207 |
| Goals Scored | 3 (Mohun Bagan), 1 (ATK) |
| Clubs Represented | ATK Mohun Bagan (Current Club), ATK FC, Delhi Dynamos, Pune City FC, Mohun Bagan AC, Pailan Arrows |
7. Lallianzuala Chhangte
Lallianzuala Chhangte, a 24-year-old from Mizoram, is the top left winger for the Indian National team. He joined the DSK Shivajians Liverpool International Football Academy in 2014 and trained at Liverpool’s Kirkby Academy in 2016.
Chhangte began his professional career with North East United FC in the 2016 ISL season, impressing everyone with his speed and skill. In 2019, he moved to Chennaiyin FC, a two-time ISL champion. At Chennaiyin FC, he formed a strong partnership with Valskis and Schembri, scoring 7 goals in his first season.
He also tried out for Norway’s Vikings FC in 2019 but didn’t secure a permanent contract. Currently, Chhangte is a fan favorite at Chennaiyin FC.
| Name | Lallianzuala Chhangte |
| Positions | Left Winger, Right Winger, Left Midfielder |
| National Appearances | 13 |
| Club Appearances | 100 |
| Goals Scored | 4 (Indian National Team) 1 (DSK Shivajians) 8 (Delhi Dynamos) 11 (Chennaiyin FC) |
| Clubs Represented | Chennaiyin FC (Current Club) Delhi Dynamos North East United DSK Shivajians |
6. Rowlin Borges
Rowlin Borges is considered one of the best defensive midfielders in India. The 29-year-old star plays for Mumbai City FC and is a top choice for both his club and the Indian National Team. He is from Goa.
Borges began his professional career with Sporting Goa in 2011. He made his international debut for India’s U-23 team and the senior team in 2015. In 2016, he was named AIFF Emerging Player of the Year. In 2021, he won the Indian Super League and the Table Toppers Shield with Mumbai City FC.
| Name of the Player | Rowlin Borges |
|---|---|
| Positions of the Player | Defensive Midfielder, Central Midfielder |
| National Appearances | 34 |
| Club Appearances | 186 |
| Goals Scored | |
| Indian National Team | 2 |
| Sporting Goa | 3 |
| North East United | 5 |
| East Bengal | 1 |
| Mumbai City FC | 4 |
| Clubs Represented | |
| Current Club | Mumbai City FC |
| Previous Clubs | North East United, East Bengal, Sporting Goa |
5. Amrinder Singh
Amrinder Singh is a 28-year-old goalkeeper from Punjab, playing for ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League (ISL). He started with the Punjab Football Association’s U-17 and U-19 teams and then joined Pune Academy to begin his professional career.
He made his professional debut for Pune FC in a 2011 Federation Cup game against East Bengal. His ISL debut was with ATK FC in 2015 before moving to Bengaluru FC in the I-League.
In 2017, Amrinder joined Mumbai City FC, establishing himself as one of India’s best goalkeepers. He also served as the club’s captain. In the 2021 summer transfer window, he signed a 5-year deal with ATK Mohun Bagan.
Amrinder Singh has won both the I-League and ISL Golden Glove awards. With Bengaluru FC, he won the I-League (2016) and Federation Cup (2017). In the 2020/21 season, he led Mumbai City FC to win the Indian Super League and the Table Toppers Shield.
| Name | Amrinder Singh |
| Age | 28 years old |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| National Appearances | 7 |
| Club Appearances | 216 |
| Goals Conceded/Game Ratio | 1.26 (Indian Super League) |
| Current Club | ATK Mohun Bagan |
| Previous Clubs | Mumbai City FC, Bengaluru FC, ATK FC, Pune FC |
| Notable Achievements | I-League Golden Glove, ISL Golden Glove, I-League (2016), Federation Cup (2017), ISL (2020/21), Table Toppers Shield (2020/21) |
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4. Anirudh Thapa
The 23-year-old midfielder from Chennaiyin FC is one of the most in-demand midfielders in India right now. Thapa is central to the Indian midfield and has played key roles for both his club and country.
Born in Uttarakhand, Thapa started his youth career in Chandigarh and was soon picked for the U-14 Indian national team. He then joined the AIFF Elite Academy and captained the I-League U-19 team. In 2016, he also trained with the French team FC Metz.
Thapa made his professional debut for Chennaiyin FC in 2016 and was later loaned to Minerva Punjab after the ISL season. He is known for scoring important goals, including two goals in ISL semi-finals for Chennaiyin FC and a goal in an AFC Asian Cup match against Thailand for the Indian national team.
He was named AIFF Emerging Player in 2018 and 2020 and won an Indian Super League title with Chennaiyin FC in the 2017/18 season.
| National Appearances | 27 |
| Club Appearances | 97 |
| Goals Scored | 3 (Indian National Team), 8 (Chennaiyin FC), 1 (Minerva Punjab) |
| Clubs Represented | Chennaiyin FC (Current), Minerva Punjab |
3. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, 29, is one of India’s top goalkeepers. He made history as the first Indian player to compete in the Europa League with the Norwegian club Stabæk.
Gurpreet began his professional career with East Bengal in 2011 and joined Stabæk in 2014. In 2017, he moved to Bengaluru FC for their first season in the Indian Super League.
He first played for India in 2011 against Turkmenistan in the AFC Asian Cup. He was called up again in 2018 for a World Cup Qualifier and has been India’s main goalkeeper since then, often serving as captain.
With East Bengal, Gurpreet won the Federation Cup and the IFA Shield in 2012. At Bengaluru FC, he won the Indian Super League in 2018/19 and the Hero Super Cup in 2018.
Individually, Gurpreet has earned 2 Golden Gloves in the Indian Super League and was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2019.
| Name of the Player | Gurpreet Singh Sandhu |
| Position of the Player | Goalkeeper |
| National Appearances | 43 |
| Club Appearances | 166 |
| Goals Conceded/Game Ratio | 0.97 (Indian Super League) |
| Clubs Represented | Bengaluru FC (Current Club), Stebæk, Pailan Arrows, East Bengal |
2. Sandesh Jhingan
Sandesh Jhingan is a key defender for the Indian National football team. Coach Igor Stimac has often highlighted how important Jhingan is to the team’s defense.
The 28-year-old began his professional career with United Sikkim in 2012. He has played many matches in Indian football and is particularly known for his time with Kerala Blasters FC. Jhingan joined Kerala Blasters in 2014 and was named the Emerging Player of the Indian Super League’s first season. He became the team captain in 2017, but they didn’t make it to the playoffs that year. In 2020, he moved to ATK Mohun Bagan, where they lost the 2021 ISL final to Mumbai City FC.
In the summer of 2021, Jhingan transferred to the Croatian club Šibenik.
Jhingan won the I-League second division with United Sikkim in 2012. Personally, he won the AIFF ISL Emerging Player of the Year award in 2014 and was named AIFF Player of the Year in 2021. In 2020, he was also honored with the Arjuna Award by the Indian government.
| Name of the Player | Sandesh Jhingan |
| Positions of the Player | Centre-Back, Right back |
| National Appearances | 40 |
| Club Appearances | 172 |
| Goals Scored | 4 (Indian National Team) 2 (United Sikkim) 1 (Sporting Goa) 2 (Bengaluru FC) |
| Clubs Represented | HNK Šibenik (Current Club) ATK Mohun Bagan Kerala Blasters Bengaluru FC DSK Shivajians Sporting Goa Mumbai FC United Sikkim |
1. Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chettri is arguably the most famous player in Indian football. He has established a strong legacy in both Indian and world football.
At 37 years old, he is still performing well as the captain of both his club and the national team. Chettri started his professional career in 2002 with Mohun Bagan and has played in Portugal and the United States since then. He began playing for the Indian national team in 2005 and has won two SAFF Championships and the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008.
Chettri holds the record for the most goals scored by an Indian in the Indian Super League and is the third-highest active international goalscorer globally, following Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
He has won the I-League title four times with Dempo, Churchill Brothers, and Bengaluru FC. He also won the Indian Super League in 2018/19, the Hero Super Cup in 2018, and two Federation Cup titles with Bengaluru FC. His most notable achievement with Bengaluru FC was being the runner-up in the AFC Cup in 2016.
Chettri has received several personal awards, including the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri from the Indian Government.
| Name of the Player | Sunil Chettri |
| Positions of the Player | Centre Forward, Left Winger, Attacking Midfielder |
| National Appearances | 120 |
| Club Appearances | 291 |
| Goals Scored | 75 (Indian National Team) 11 (East Bengal) 8 (Dempo) 7 (Chirag United) 9 (Mohun Bagan) 6 (Churchill Brothers) 7 (Mumbai City FC) 86 (Bengaluru FC) |
| Clubs Represented | Bengaluru FC (Current club) Mumbai City FC Churchill Brothers Sporting Clube De Portugal (B) Mohun Bagan Chirag United Kansas City Wizards Dempo East Bengal |
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