‘Captain Fantastic’ calls time on his reign with India
Chhetri is behind only Ronaldo and Messi in list of active men’s goalscorers in internationals
Tributes poured in as India’s captain Sunil Chhetri announced yesterday he would retire from international football, ending a record-breaking career for his country spanning two decades.
The attacker has hit 94 goals in 150 appearances for India, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the list of active men’s international goalscorers. He is also India’s most-capped player.
In a video message on social media platform X, Chhetri said the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6 would be his last international outing.
“It’s not that I was feeling tired, not that I was feeling this or that,” the 39-year-old said. “When the instinct came that this should be my last game, I thought about it a lot and eventually I came to this decision.”
Fifa tweeted an image of
Chhetri on a podium alongside Messi and Ronaldo with the caption: “Retiring as a legend.”
The English Premier League’s India account posted an image of him in action against Manchester United, labelling him: “Captain. Leader. Legend. Inspiration.”
India are second in Group A in the second round of World Cup Asian qualifiers with four points, behind Qatar.
“The game against Kuwait demands pressure, we need the three points to qualify for the next round. It’s hugely important for us,” the skipper said.
“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 is the last.”
Across club and country, Chhetri’s goal tally stands at 252 from 515 appearances, averaging almost a goal every two games. He scored a penalty in India’s most recent outing, a 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat by Afghanistan in March.
“The phases, the faces, the eras and battles – he’s been the one constant through it all,” Chhetri’s Indian Super League club Bengaluru said on X. “He’s going to do it one last time, and we can never be grateful enough for the giant that walked amongst men.”
Football has struggled to find its feet among the 1.4 billion people of India, where the sport’s local following is dwarfed by the nation’s obsession with cricket.
Chhetri began his football journey in 2002. It was reported in 2009 that he had signed for English Championship side Queens Park Rangers, but 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 honoured Chhetri with a documentary titled Captain Fantastic.
We can never be grateful enough for the giant that walked amongst men BENGALURU SUPER LEAGUE CLUB