New Delhi: Bringing an end to an illustrious career spanning nearly two decades, Sunil Chhetri, the long-serving captain of the Indian national football team, has revealed his intention to retire from international football following the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6. Chhetri made the announcement through a video shared on his social media platforms.
The 39-year-old posted a video on X (Formerly Twitter) in which he reminisced about his career which began in 2005 on June 12 against Pakistan in a friendly match.
“There is one day that I never forget and remember quite often is the first time I played for my country, man it was unbelievable. But the day before, the morning of the day, Sukhi sir, my first national team coach, in the morning he came to me and he’s like, you’re going to start? I can’t tell you how I was feeling man. I took my jersey, I sprayed some perfume on it, I have no idea why. So that day, everything that happened, once he told me, from breakfast to lunch and the game and to my first goal in my debut, to conceding late 80th minute, that day is probably one that I will never forget and is one of the best days of my national team journey,” Chhetri said in a social media post.
“I told my mom, my dad and my wife, my family first, my dad, he was normal, he was relieved, happy, everything, but my mom and my wife started crying and I told them, you always used to bug me that there are too many games, there is too much of pressure when you watch me and now that I’m telling you that, you know, I’m not going to play for my country anymore after this game. And even they couldn’t, they couldn’t express to me as to why they, they burst into tears. It’s not that I was feeling tired, it’s not that I was feeling this or that when the instinct came that this should be my last game, then I thought about it a lot,” Chhetri added.
Throughout his tenure, Chhetri played a pivotal role in India’s football achievements, contributing significantly to victories in tournaments such as the Nehru Cup in 2007, 2009, and 2012, as well as the SAFF Championship in 2011, 2015, 2021, and 2023.
Notably, he led India to triumph in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, a historic victory that secured India’s qualification for the AFC Asian Cup after 27 years. Chhetri’s outstanding contributions to Indian football earned him numerous accolades, including the Arjuna Award in 2011 and the Padma Shri in 2019. He also became the first footballer to receive the prestigious Khel Ratna Award in 2021, India’s highest sporting honor.
Over the course of his illustrious 19-year career, Chhetri showcased his unparalleled talent on the international stage, amassing an impressive record of 94 goals in 150 matches. His remarkable goal-scoring prowess places him among the elite ranks of global football, with only icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ahead of him as the third-highest goal-scorer.
