Singapore, 5 September 2025: It was the goal seen around the world; Chanathip Songkrasin’s 97th minute wonder strike securing 10-man BG Pathum United FC the ideal start to the new ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ campaign as the Thai League 1 side handed Công An Hà Nội FC a 2-1 defeat.
Footage of the Thai playmaker’s jaw-dropping effort, which sailed over the head of visiting goalkeeper Filip Nguyễn moments after leaving Chanathip’s boot more than 40 yards from goal, would go viral soon after the ball had nestled in the back of the net.
On news bulletins and across digital platforms, the sight of the 31-year-old’s strike arcing and dipping in the Bangkok night sky was lighting up devices across the globe as Chanathip claimed the Shopee Star of the Match with his two-goal performance.
It was a strike of the highest quality scored by a player who long ago established himself as one of Southeast Asia’s most gifted creators, known among local fans by the nickname “Thai Messi” due to semblances to the great Argentine playmaker, Lionel Messi.
Since breaking through at BEC Tero Sasana more than 12 years ago, the diminutive midfielder has been determined to make sure he can match the best the region – and the continent – has to offer.
From the earliest days of his professional career, Chanathip was being courted by clubs in Japan keen to harness his vision, deft touch and ability to unlock a defence with a perfectly weighted pass. It was an opportunity he was keen to embrace.
“I want to go to the J.League,” he said back in 2016 as he captained Thailand at the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals in Qatar. “That’s my target. The J.League has a good system, has good discipline and a strong attitude. I want to be professional. I want to go outside Thailand because I want to improve.”
At the time Chanathip’s reputation was building. He had just made a move to Muangthong United FC, initially on loan, and by the end of 2016 it was announced that his Japanese dream was to come true.
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo swooped to take him to the most northerly of Japan’s three main islands, where Chanathip would go on to spend five hugely successful seasons, making 123 appearances in all competitions and scoring 16 times.
While he was not the first player from Thailand or Southeast Asia to make the move to one of Asia’s premier leagues, he soon established himself as the region’s finest export to the Japanese professional set up.
In 2018, Chanathip was included in the J.League’s Best XI in 2018 alongside the likes of Japan internationals Kengo Nakamura and Akihiro Ienaga as he led the club to fourth in the standings, their highest ever finish.
The following season he was helping his club to the runners-up spot in the J.League Cup.
By the start of 2022, Chanathip had left Consadole to move south, joining Ienaga at four-times J.League champions Kawasaki Frontale for a record transfer fee of US$3.8 million.
Within 18 months he was on the move again, opting to return to Thailand and sign for BG Pathum, where he has spent the last two years as the creative fulcrum for the Pathum Thani-based club and is once again attempting to steer the club to the Shopee Cup™ title.
While Chanathip was blazing a trail on the club scene in Japan he was also leading by example at international level for Thailand, steering the country to the ASEAN Championship title in 2014, 2016 and 2020.
“In football if you’re not training you can’t go up,” he said previously in 2016. “I think everybody wants to improve. When I play, I want to test my standards. If I have a standard, then I want it to go up. I think every player thinks this way too.
“I like to play against stronger teams because if you can play (against them) then you can improve. If you cannot play then you can come back training, training. Sometimes we lose but that’s not a problem because we learn. We come back and we train.
“I want to take my level up. To be fighting.”
That determination to succeed remains deeply rooted within Chanathip, even as he approaches veteran status. And, as Công An Hà Nội saw in the opening round of the Shopee Cup™, he retains the quality to determine outcomes in the most spectacular manner.
BG Pathum take on Shopee Cup™ defending champions Buriram United FC on September 24 at their home ground BG Stadium in Pathum Thani.
For other Shopee Cup™ match day 2 fixtures, please visit https://aseanutdfc.com/asean-club-championship and @aseanutdfc on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.
Chia sẻ ngay
