Indian footballing legend, Sunil Chhetri has announced that he will retire from international football. The icon is set to play his last game for the country in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers against Kuwait on June 6 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
The 39-year-old is a pivotal part of Indian football and cements his legacy as the best footballer to come out of the country with a tally of 94 goals in 150 appearances for the nation, and currently sits as the fourth in the all-time list of international goal-scorers as well.
The legend made the official announcement on his social media handle on X where he posted a 10-minute video talking about his decision to call time on his national career.
He will end his career in national colours as the most prolific goal-scorer for the nation and his loss will be one that will be felt by the team that has relied on his talents even during his latter stages where he continues to find the back of the net.
Speaking on the future of Indian football, Chettri highlighted that it was time for the country to find the next #9. He suggested that the team is currently handicapped as none of the current lot of players play as the main striker for their respective clubs and sees the massive hole in the current national team.
Looking ahead at his final game against Kuwait, he revealed that he does not feel any pressure and is enjoying each and every moment he has with the national side.
FULL TRANSCRIPT OF SUNIL CHHETRI RETIREMENT ANNOUCEMENT
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.
You know the feeling that I recollect in the last 19 years is a very nice combination between duty pressure and immense joy. I never thought individually, these are the many games that I’ve played for the country, this is what I’ve done, good or bad, but now I did it. This last one and a half, two months, I did it and it was very strange. I did it because probably I was going towards the decision that this game, this next game is going to be my last.
And the moment I told myself first, that yes, this is the game that is going to be my last, is when I started recollecting everything. It was so strange, I started thinking about this game, that game, this coach, that coach, that team, that member, that ground, that away match, this good game, that bad game, all my individual performances, everything came, all the flashes came. So when I did decide that this is it, this is going to be my last game,
I told my mom, my dad and my wife, my family first, my dad was, my dad was my dad, he was normal, he was relieved, happy, everything, but my mom and my wife straightly started crying and I told them, you always used to bug me that there are too many games, there is too much of pressure when you watch me and now that I’m telling you that, you know, I’m not going to play for my country anymore after this game.
And even they couldn’t, they couldn’t express to me as to why they, they burst into tears. It’s not that I was feeling tired, it’s not that I was feeling this or that, when the instinct came that this should be my last game, then I thought about it a lot.
And eventually I came to this decision, so, you know, will I be sad after this? Of course. Do I feel sad sometimes every day because of this? Yes. Do I feel like the train, I’ll miss the train and I’ll have to run and there’s just 20 days of training and it’ll all be gone? Yes.
It took time because the kid inside me, he never wants to stop if given a chance to play for his country, man. Never. There hasn’t been, I’ve got, I’m really fortunate in my life, there has been so many amazing things that have happened to me. I practically live a dream, but nothing comes close to, to playing for a country. S
o the kid kept fighting and probably even in future will keep fighting inside. I think the sensible, the matured player, a person inside knows it, knew it, that this is it. But it wasn’t easy. Every training that I do with the national team now, and I can say it because my name has come in the camp. Every training that I do with the national team, I just want to enjoy it, man. I can feel that, I don’t feel the pressure, wherein this game demands pressure against Kuwait.
We need the three points to qualify for the next round, third round. It’s hugely important for us, but in a very strange and nice way, I don’t feel the pressure because I know these 15, 20 days of training with the national team and the match against Kuwait is the last.
So I’m quite certain that I’m just going to go there and enjoy and give whatever that I’ve got. I’ll say something controversial. I don’t think I know any player who has got more love, affection, adulation from the fans in a holistic manner in my country than me.
A lot of times people talk about high school, this, that number of games, but the one thing that I think that I’ve got the best and I’m really pampered is the love and affection that I’ve got. I think its time for our country to see the next number nine. It is time that we build on it. Already we are a little bit handicapped because a lot of players, a lot of national team boys do not play as number nines at their clubs and that’s a different topic we can talk about. At least now, when I’m not going to be there, I am pretty sure there are so many of them who are going to step up and they will need time. You know how a lot of things in your life goes well and you enjoy but you still want that one thing which gives you an extra boost or a different kind of happiness where everything good going in your life seems small, national team is that for me, but I’m going to miss everything about it. From the day that the name comes that you’re called to the camp, joining them, meeting all the players from different clubs, having one agenda, sitting, training together. dining together and then wearing the jersey around the National Anthem.
From my first camp, first captain in Venkatesh, from Bhaichung Bhutia, from the Renedy Singh, Sameer Naik, Subroto Pal, Sur Kumar, MP Pradeep, Climax Lawrence, Stephen Dias, Abhishek Yadav, Mehraj-ud-Din, so many of them, MP Pradeep, to this team, the young ones. I asked them, what’s your age? 2002. What’s your age? 2003. They tell me their date of birth.
All of them, the entire team, the players that I’ve played with, the teams that I’ve played against, the coaches that I’ve learned from, right from my first coach Sukhi sir, Bob Hougton, Armando sir, Wim Koevermans, Savio sir, Stephen Constantine, Igor stimac, to the doctors, to the physios, everyone. And I’m just taking all your names so that you know, without you, these 19 years would not have been possible.
Personally, I’ve spoken to you and I’ve told you this. Right from when I was 20 to now when I’m 39, I’ve been so much loved and encouraged and people have gone so wild with happiness when I do well. I think it’s a great fortune of mine.
So thank you, thank you to the co-group who has helped me to be the kind of player that I became and for the 19 years, to the fans, to the ones who are thinking that I should retire, I hope it makes you happy. To the ones who think that I shouldn’t have and I did well, thank you because of your love and affection I’ve reached 19 years. Make sure you understand that you are a part of it. Yeah, one last game against Kuwait. For all our sakes, let’s do a good game, let’s win the game and we can depart happily. And it’s a wrap.
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