Who is the Best Football Player in India? Our Top 5 Picks Revealed

2025-11-16 12:00

Let me be perfectly honest with you - when I first considered writing about India's best footballers, I assumed I'd be staring at a pretty short list. But digging into the current landscape completely changed my perspective, much like how Bernadeth Pons described her team's overseas training camps providing that necessary reality check. The truth is, Indian football has been undergoing its own version of international exposure, and the results are starting to show in some genuinely impressive talents emerging across the pitch.

I've been following Indian football for about eight years now, and what strikes me most is how the conversation has shifted from "Is there anyone good?" to "Okay, but who stands above the rest?" That's genuine progress, friends. When I started watching the Indian Super League back in 2016, the quality was, frankly, inconsistent at best. But fast forward to today, and we're seeing players who could genuinely hold their own in more established leagues. My methodology here isn't purely statistical - though I'll share numbers where they matter - but rather a blend of current form, impact on their teams, and that intangible "it factor" that separates good players from truly special ones.

Let's start with the obvious choice that most Indian football fans would probably name first: Sunil Chhetri. Now, I know what some might say - he's 38, past his prime, shouldn't we be looking at younger talent? Here's where I push back hard. Chhetri isn't just hanging on; he's still genuinely brilliant. With 84 international goals in 132 appearances, he's not just India's all-time leading scorer but sits third in international goals among active players worldwide, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. That's not just impressive - that's absolutely staggering when you consider the context. I've watched him play live three times, and what continues to amaze me isn't just his finishing, which remains razor-sharp, but his football intelligence. He anticipates spaces opening up before they actually do, like he's playing chess while everyone else is checkers. Last season with Bengaluru FC, he netted 9 goals in 20 appearances despite playing fewer minutes than in previous years, proving he can still deliver when it matters most.

Now, if we're talking about the future of Indian football, my personal favorite to watch is easily Sandesh Jhingan. The 29-year-old center back currently playing for Croatian club HNK Sibenik brings something I've found increasingly rare in modern defenders - pure, uncompromising physicality combined with surprisingly elegant ball distribution. Standing at 6'2" with a build that would make a rugby player think twice, Jhingan dominates aerial battles with an 78% success rate in duels last season. But what really sets him apart in my view is his leadership on the pitch. I recall watching India's qualifier against Afghanistan where he played with 12 stitches in his head after a collision, bleeding through his bandage but still organizing the defense like a general. That kind of commitment changes teams, and I'd argue he's been instrumental in raising the standard for Indian defenders.

The third spot goes to someone who might surprise those who only casually follow Indian football - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Goalkeepers rarely get the spotlight they deserve, but having watched Gurpreet develop from a promising youngster to South Asia's first player to sign for a top-tier European club (Stabæk in Norway), I can confidently say he's transformed how we think about Indian goalkeeping. At 6'6", he commands his penalty area with an authority I haven't seen from any other Indian keeper in my lifetime. His save percentage of 74% in the ISL last season doesn't fully capture his impact - it's his distribution and ability to start attacks that genuinely sets him apart. I've seen him make saves that made me jump out of my seat, particularly that incredible double save against Bangladesh in World Cup qualifiers that essentially secured India the point.

My fourth pick might generate some debate, but I'm going with Anirudh Thapa. The 24-year-old midfielder currently with Chennaiyin FC represents what I consider the new generation of Indian football - technically gifted, comfortable on the ball under pressure, and possessing vision that many older Indian midfielders lacked. What impresses me most about Thapa isn't just his 5 goals and 7 assists last season, but his work rate off the ball. I tracked his movement in one game specifically against Mumbai City, and he covered approximately 12.3 kilometers while maintaining 88% passing accuracy. That combination of endurance and technical quality is exactly what India needs to compete at higher levels.

Rounding out my top five is Liston Colaco. Now, here's where I'll admit some personal bias - I absolutely love watching creative wingers, and Liston brings a flair to the game that's just pure entertainment. His dribbling success rate of 68% last season might not sound extraordinary until you consider he attempts significantly more dribbles than most Indian wingers - about 7.2 per 90 minutes. I remember one particular game where he completed 11 successful dribbles, the most by any Indian player in ISL history. At just 24, he's already shown he can change games single-handedly, and while his consistency needs improvement, his ceiling is arguably higher than anyone else on this list except perhaps Jhingan.

What strikes me looking at these five players is how they represent different aspects of India's football evolution. Much like how Bernadeth Pons described her team's international exposure providing necessary reality checks, these players have benefited from increased competitive opportunities both domestically and internationally. The average age of my list is just under 28, suggesting we're seeing a nice blend of experienced veterans and emerging talents. If I had to identify a common thread beyond pure skill, it would be mental toughness - each of these players has overcome significant challenges, whether it's Chhetri carrying national expectations for over a decade, Jhingan recovering from serious injuries, or Gurpreet battling for playing time in Europe.

The conversation about India's best footballer will inevitably continue evolving, and that's exactly what we should want. Five years from now, I expect this list to look quite different as younger players develop and the overall standard continues rising. But for this moment in Indian football history, these five represent the pinnacle of what's possible - talented, determined professionals who are gradually changing international perceptions of Indian football. They've had their own versions of overseas reality checks, and rather than being discouraged, they've used those experiences to elevate their games and, by extension, the entire football landscape in India.