Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri has declared his retirement from international football, ending an illustrious career that spanned nearly two decades.
The announcement came on Thursday, with Chhetri revealing that his final appearance in the Indian jersey will be during the World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait on June 6, in Kolkata.
For Chhetri, who has been a stalwart of the Indian football scene, it will be an emotional moment when he will play his farewell match in Kolkata, the city where he began his professional football journey.
In a moving video message posted on his social media handles, the skipper reflected on his illustrious career with a mix of emotions.
He touched upon various aspects of his 20-year-old career with focus on being the captain of the Blue Tigers.
“These last one and a half, two months, I did it. It was very strange. I did it because probably I was going towards the decision that this game, this next game is going to be my last,” he announced.
The 39-year-old footballer made his debut for the senior national team in 2005, becoming India’s most-capped player, having represented the country in 150 matches.
Additionally, Chhetri is India’s leading goal-scorer of all time, with an impressive tally of 94 international goals, third only to global icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in terms of active footballers with most international goals.
Chhetri’s farewell match against Kuwait will be a do-or-die match for a spot in the coveted FIFA World Cup 2026 at Canada, Mexico and United States.
If India win, they would secure a spot in Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Currently positioned second in Group A with four points from four matches, India faces a crucial challenge to maintain their standing and advance to the next stage.
Following the match against Kuwait, the team will journey to Qatar for their final group stage encounter.
The results of these matches hold the key to India’s destiny in the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers. Should we secure a qualification, will Chhetri reconsider his decision?
