Sunil Chhetri retired after a career-span of 19 years in Indian Football.
Sunil Chhetri returned to where it all began. On June 6, he played his last match in national colours at Kolkata’s Yuva Bharati Kridangan. It is here he played his first professional match for Mohun Bagan in 2002.
“For everyone who is here, thank you so much.
I think I will speak from my heart. ‘Shobai bhalo thakben, shobai khushi thakben’ (everyone please stay well, stay happy) and thank you, thank you so much,” Chhetri spoke from his heart in his farewell speech partly in Bengali.
Sunil Chhetri had an illustrious career of 19-years for the Indian Football team. A man, synonymous with consistency, played 151 matches for the national team- the most by any Indian. He scored 94 goals for his team- the highest by any Indian. Among the active players, only Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are ahead of him in terms of goals scored.
Sunil Chhetri made in India debut in 2005 against Pakistan and scored a goal in the match. He proved to be the premier motivational force behind all the tournaments Indian team won during his career.
- AFC Challenge Cup in 2008
- SAFF Championship in 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023
- Nehru Cup in 2007, 2009, 2012
- Intercontinental Cup in 2018, 2023
- Tri Nation Series in 2023
As an individual he has become the AIFF Player of the Year for a record of 7 times. He has been awarded Arjuna Award in 2011, Padmashri in 2019 and Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
In his last match, played against Kuwait, he received a heartwarming from his team mates, coach, and fans. As the other players gave his a guard of honour after the match, Chhetri was visibly emotional. He could not hold his tears in front of his family and over 52,000 spectators at the stadium.
