India’s most decorated footballer of recent times, Sunil Chhetri announces retirement by declaring that the game against Kuwait on June 6 will be his final one.

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 it, this last one-and-a-half two months. It felt very strange. I did it because I was going towards the decision that the next game was going to be my last.”, the captain of the national team, Sunil Chhetri chose social media to announce his retirement.

Chhetri, who made his debut in 2005, has scored 94 goals for the country. Presently, he is India’s all-time top scorer and most-capped player. He had made his 150th appearance for India against Afghanistan in Guwahati in March and scored the lone goal for the country. India lost the match 1-2.

Coincidentally, the Indian Football icon will appear for his last match against Kuwait in the city where he made his India debut 19 years ago. India’s game against Kuwait is a must-win to stay in contention for a World Cup Qualifiers Round 3 berth.

Sunil Chhetri’s Retirement Speech

Adding to his retirement speech Chhetri said, “There is one day that I never forget and remember it quite often is the first time I played for my country man, it was unbelievable. But the day before, morning of the day, Sukhi sir, my first national team coach, in the morning he came to me and he’s like, you’re going to start? I can’t tell you how I was feeling man. I took my jersey, I sprayed some perfume on it, I have no idea why. So that day, everything that happened, once he told me, from breakfast to lunch and to the game and to my first goal in my debut, to conceding late 80th minute, that day is probably that I will never forget and is one of the best days of my national team journey.”

Watch Sunil Chhetri’s retirement speech.