Indian legend Sunil Chhetri announces retirement from international football

India’s World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait will likely be Sunil Chhetri’s last-ever match for the team.

With 94 goals for his country, Sunil Chhetri is the most famous football player in India. He has announced his retirement from international competition.

In a video posted to social networking platform X (formerly known as Twitter), the 39-year-old announced that the forthcoming game against Kuwait will be his last for India.

“The recollection of the last 19 years is a combination of duty, pressure and immense joy. I never thought that these are the many games I would play for the country, good or bad but now I did but these last one and half two months I did. And this (the feeling) was very strange. I was probably going towards the decision that this game (against Kuwait) is going to be my last,” Chhetri said.

Chhetri’s legendary career

Indian football legend Chhetri has had an incredible career spanning more than 20 years. This gifted forward has established himself on the international scene in addition to dominating home leagues.

In March 2024, Chhetri made his 150th appearance for India, scoring in a game against Afghanistan at Guwahati. However, India lost that match 1-2.

Also Read: Who Is Sunil Chhetri’s Wife Sonam Bhattacharya?

In 2002, Chhetri set out on his journey with Mohun Bagan. His skill quickly led him overseas, where he played for the Sporting CP reserves of Portugal (2012) and the Kansas City Wizards of the USA (2010).

He played for elite teams in his native India, including Bengaluru FC, Mumbai City FC, Dempo, and East Bengal.

Chhetri really took off with Bengaluru, where he won championships in the I-League (2014, 2016), ISL (2019), and Super Cup (2018). In 2016, he also guided Bengaluru FC to the AFC Cup final.