Template:Infobox football biography
Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia (born 15 September 2000), known as Rinzuala, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Indian Super League club NorthEast United.
Club career
Youth career
Rinzuala played in the Subroto Cup, before being scouted by Bengaluru FC, which he represented at the U-16 and U-18 levels. He suffered an ACL injury in 2018, that kept him away of the game for 11 months.Template:Cn
Subsequently, he played three seasons for Gokulam Kerala reserves before returning home in 2022 to play for Chhinga Veng, that competed in the Mizoram Premier League. He recalled that it "was a decision that I felt I had to take" and that he "needed to come back home and start afresh".[1]
Aizawl
2023–24 season
On 13 June 2023, I-League club Aizawl secured the services of Rinzuala, on a two-year deal.[2] On 29 October, he made his debut for the club in the 2023–24 I-League campaign against Mohammedan SC, in a 2-1 away loss.[3][4] On 14 November, Rinzuala scored three goals in a 1–3 win over NEROCA, which was his first professional hat-trick.[5][6] On 28 March, Rinzuala netted twice in a 4–0 win over Churchill Brothers. In this process, he broke the record for most goals scored by an Indian footballer in a single season of the I-League, with 14 goals, overtaking Sunil Chhetri and Mohammed Rafi.[7][8]
On 15 April 2025, it was reported that Rinzuala will move to the top-tier Indian Super League next season, after agreeing terms with NorthEast United.[9]
NorthEast United
On 1 June 2025, Indian Super League club NorthEast United confirmed the signing of Rinzuala.[10]
Personal life
Rinzuala was born in the streets of Serchhip, a town in his home state of Mizoram. His father, who was a driver, died in 2016, before his elder brother died in an accident the following year. His mother started a chicken farm after that, which sustained his family since.[11]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | AFC | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chhinga Veng | 2022–23 | Mizoram Premier League | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| Delhi (loan) | 2022–23 | I-League 2nd Division | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | |||
| Aizawl | 2023–24 | I-League | 20 | 15 | – | – | – | 20 | 15 | |||
| 2024–25 | I-League | 20 | 12 | – | – | – | 20 | 12 | ||||
| Total | 40 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 27 | ||
| Career total | 42 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 27 | ||
Honours
Delhi FC
NorthEast United
Individual
- Most goals scored by an Indian in a I-League season – 15 goals
References
- ↑ Return to the Roots: Rinzuala determined to leave his mark on the I-League top scorers' charts. i-league.org(3 April 2024). Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ↑ Welcome Lalrinzuala to The People's Club. @aizawlfc(13 June 2023).
- ↑ Mohammedan 2-1 Aizawl. soccerway(29 October 2023). Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ↑ MOHAMMEDAN SPORTING CLUB START THEIR I-LEAGUE CAMPAIGN WITH A 2-1 WIN OVER AIZAWL FC. parallelsports.com(29 October 2023). Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ↑ NEROCA 1-3 Aizawl. soccerway(14 November 2023). Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ↑ Lalrinzuala's second half hat-trick gives Aizawl the win against NEROCA. i-league.org(14 November 2023). Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ↑ Aizawl 4-0 Churchill Brothers. soccerway(28 March 2024). Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ↑ I-League: Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia breaks Sunil Chhetri's record; scores most goals in single edition. khelnow.com(28 March 2024). Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ↑ Lalrinzuala set for move to NorthEast United. timesofindia.indiatimes.com(15 April 2025). Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ https://x.com/NEUtdFC/status/1929123440591589882
- ↑ Return to the Roots: Rinzuala determined to leave his mark on the I-League top scorers' charts. i-league.org(3 April 2024). Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ↑ Template:Soccerway