India’s record-breaking captain Sunil Chhetri has decided to retire from international football. The country’s top goal scorer and most-capped player announced that it is time for India to see “the next number nine” in an emotional video.
Sunil Chhetri has played 150 international matches and scored 94 goals for India. He announced on Thursday that he will retire after the World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on June 6. Chhetri has been the face of Indian football for nearly a decade and a half, and his 94 international goals place him as the third-highest active international goal scorer, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
In a video posted on social media, Chhetri said, “It was not that I was feeling tired. When the instinct came that this should be my last game, I thought about it a lot and eventually came to this decision. Will I be sad after this? Of course … the kid inside me never wants to stop if given a chance to play for his country. But it’s time for our country to see the next number nine.”
India will play against Kuwait and is currently second in Group A of the qualifiers with four points, behind Qatar. The captain said, “The game against Kuwait demands pressure, we need the three points to qualify for the next round. It’s hugely important for us. But in a strange way, I don’t feel the pressure because these 15-20 days with the national team and the match against Kuwait are the last.”
Chhetri scored a penalty in India’s most recent match, a 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat to Afghanistan in March. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) praised the retiring captain in response to his announcement on social media. AIFF posted on X, “Your legacy on and off the field will always be remembered. Thank you @chetrisunil11 for your leadership, dedication, and commitment to Indian football.”
Football has struggled to find its footing among the 1.4 billion people of India, where the sport’s local following is overshadowed by the nation’s longstanding cricket obsession. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter once called India a “sleeping giant” of the sport. India is currently ranked 121, one spot below Lebanon, which has a population of 5.5 million.
Chhetri is India’s most-capped player, having played 150 international matches since his debut against Pakistan in 2005. Across club and country, his goal tally stands at 252 from 515 appearances, averaging almost a goal every two games. Chhetri began his football journey in 2002. In 2009, it was reported that he had signed for English Championship side Queens Park Rangers, but he was unable to take up the contract after being denied a work permit. He joined Kansas City Wizards in the United States in 2010 and in 2012 signed for Portugal’s Sporting CP, where he played for the reserves in the country’s second division. In 2022, FIFA honored Chhetri with a documentary titled “Captain Fantastic.”
India’s coach Igor Stimac said in January that Chhetri was welcome to continue his career for as long as he chose.