Sánchez made his senior international debut for Chile in 2006 at age 18, and has since earned 139 caps, appearing in eight major tournaments and becoming both his country's most capped player and all-time top goalscorer. He led Chile to their first victory in a major tournament by winning the 2015 Copa América, scoring the winning penalty in the final; he captained the team to a repeat of this triumph at the Copa América Centenario, winning the Golden Ball for Best Player.