Sunil Chhetri, the Indian football legend and longtime captain of the national team, will retire from international football on June 6.
In a video on his social media handle, he said that India’s World Cup qualification match against Kuwait would be his last game.
“One last game… for all our sakes…let’s win the game, and we can depart happily,” he said in the video.
The 39-year-old Indian icon, who has left an indelible mark on Indian football, played 150 times for the national team and scored a staggering 94 goals in a career that spanned 19 years. His goal-scoring prowess is unmatched, with only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, surpassing his international goal tally among active players.
He is credited for amplifying the spotlight on Indian football in a cricket-obsessed country and is widely regarded as the greatest Indian footballer ever.
In addition to several personal awards, he has led Blue Tigers to victory in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup, the South Asian Football Federation Championship, the Intercontinental Cup.
Chhetri is known to follow a strict diet and workout regime. He once said that “It’s all about what I eat and how much I sleep. For the kind of good life that I have got by God’s grace, it’s not a big deal to go for the broccolis rather than the biryani – as I know there will be enough time for such indulgences once I am done with the game”.