Sunil Chhetri bid farewell to international football in front of over 58,000 fans at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, as India were restricted to a goalless draw by Kuwait. The result may have hampered India’s chances to progress in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, but the fans brushed the disappointment aside for a few moments as Chhetri took a lap around the stadium and was also given a guard of honour by fellow teammates.
Chhetri couldn’t help hide his tears as he broke down right as the players lined up for the guard of honour after the draw against Kuwait. He was consoled by his fellow teammates as he walked down the tunnel to massive cheers from the Indian fans.
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In the match, the 39-year-old looked the most youthful and sprinted past his young teammates, hoping to add to his record tally of 94 goals in his 151th appearance. However, a perfect farewell wasn’t to be for India’s record goalscorer, with Kuwait largely dominating the play with significantly more chances than the hosts.
The fans kept shouting ‘Sunil, Sunil’, ‘Vande Mataram’ and his best chance in the first half came in the 11th minute, when Liston Colaco burst down the left wing, sending in a low cross. Chhetri was poised to score, but Hasan Alanezi’s sliding clearance thwarted the attempt.
Chhetri ends at 94 goals
Chhetri, at 39, concluded his remarkable 19-year international football career as the fourth-highest goal-scorer in the sport’s history, amassing an impressive 94 goals. This feat places him just behind legends like Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (128 goals), Iran’s Ali Daei (108), and Argentina’s Lionel Messi (106).
Chhetri’s achievements are particularly extraordinary given the context of Indian football, which has majorly struggled to make a mark throughout the talismanic striker’s career.
Chhetri’s farewell to international football was a poignant moment, as the emotional farewell saw his parents, Kharga and Sushila, his wife Sonam Bhattacharya, and numerous officials and former players in attendance, signifying the profound impact he has had on Indian football.