Messi-led Argentina national team to play in Kerala next year
World Cup-winning Argentinian football team led by iconic Lionel Messi will play in Kochi next year, Kerala State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman announced on Wednesday.
Top Indian football striker Sunil Chhetri has signed a new two-year contract with Bengaluru FC that will keep him with the Indian Super League (ISL) side until 2023.
The deal will ensure Chhetri, who had signed his first contract with the club in 2013, extends his stay at Bengaluru FC into the 10th ISL season.
“I’m really happy to have signed on for two more years at Bengaluru FC. The city is home now, and the people at this club are like family to me. It feels like just yesterday that I signed for the first time here, and I have to say the journey has been nothing short of special,” said Chhetri on Monday.
Advertisement
“I love this club, the supporters and the city, all three of which I have a strong bond with, and I’m looking forward to being part of many more great moments with them.”
Chhetri, 36, has made 203 appearances for the club, topping the charts in each of his eight seasons with the side by scoring 101 goals.
Chhetri, a six-time Player of the Year adjudged by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), led Bengaluru FC to their first League title in 2013, and has since won five more trophies with the club, including the Federation Cup (2015, 2017), the ISL (2018-19) and the Super Cup (2018).
Besides, Chhetri was named the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Asian Icon in 2018 and the following year, he was conferred the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour.
Chhetri, who scored twice against Bangladesh in India’s joint World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers in Doha recently, has played more than 100 games for India and is the country’s all-time leading scorer in international football with 74 goals.
Advertisement
