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Sunil Chhetri, part of the ZEE5 FIFA World Cup 2026 expert panel, praised top performers at the tournament, highlighting standout displays by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He noted memorable moments like Messi’s hat-trick, Japan’s 4-0 win, and Morocco vs Scotland, while appreciating the rise of new stars like Mbappé and Haaland alongside veteran brilliance.

Mumbai: Indian football icon and ZEE 5 FIFA World Cup panelist Sunil Chhetri, who recently joined ZEE 5's FIFA World Cup 2026 expert panel as a pre-show analyst alongside Bhaichung Bhutia, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Igor Štimac, has praised the performances of the tournament's biggest attacking stars while naming Lionel Messi's hat-trick, Japan's emphatic 4-0 victory, and Morocco's clash against Scotland among his standout moments of the FIFA World Cup so far.

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Reflecting on the performances of the world's leading forwards, Chhetri said the tournament's marquee names have all risen to the occasion. "I think none of them have disappointed. Messi, Ronaldo, Haaland, Mbappé, Harry Kane, Isak, Gyökeres; all the strikers who were talked about before the tournament have delivered. It's not very common for all the big names to come to the party so early in a major tournament, and that's been amazing for football fans," he said.

Chhetri reserved special praise for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, highlighting their remarkable longevity and unwavering desire to compete at the highest level. "Think about Messi and Ronaldo, who are almost 40. For them to perform like this on the world stage is unbelievable. If there is one thing young footballers should learn from them, it's their hunger. They have won almost everything in football, but they still play with the same desire and commitment," Chhetri added.