Sunil Chhetri Announces Retirement, his final Match for India Scheduled for June 6

Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri announced on Thursday that he will retire from international football after the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6, concluding a distinguished two-decade career. The long-serving national team captain shared his decision via a video posted on his social media accounts. Currently, India sits second in Group A with four points, trailing leaders Qatar.

Reflecting on his career, the 39-year-old Chhetri said, "The feeling I recall from the past 19 years is a unique blend of duty, pressure, and immense joy."

He added, "I never considered my individual achievements or failures until recently. Over the past one-and-a-half to two months, as I approached this decision, it felt very strange. I knew the next game would be my last."

"Every training session with the national team now is something I just want to savor. The game against Kuwait carries significant pressure, as we need three points to advance to the next round. It's critically important for us," Chhetri stated.

"But oddly, I don't feel the pressure because these last 15-20 days with the national team and the match against Kuwait will be my final ones," he added.

Chhetri, who made his 150th appearance for India in March and scored against Afghanistan in Guwahati, leaves the field as India's all-time top scorer and most-capped player with 94 goals since his debut in 2005. He also ranks third in goals scored among active players, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.