Sunil Chettri farewell to FIFA World Cup: All you need to know

Sunil Chhetri, an Indian international footballer and captain, has dedicatedly given 19 years of his life to football tok retirement from the International Football in 2024. He can be called as the face of Indian Football team.

Read below to know about the farewell of this Indian Football team captain and his final game against Kuwait.

Sunil Chettri farewell to FIFA World Cup

Sunil Chetri announced the news of his retirement on 16th May 2024 and with his final international match of the FIFA world Cup 2024, he bid farewell to the tournament. He is one of the top three active international footballers next to Ronldo and Messi, still he was initially neglected due to the majority of people appereciating only cricket as a sport in India.

Sunil Chettri bid Farewell to International Football

Chettri's final game for India was against Kuwait in the World Cup Qualifier. The game concluded with a goalless draw. Chhetri was given a guard of honor by his fellow athletes, with tremendous support from spectators who sang his name. This Indian Football captain was unable to hold back his tears as he entered the field for the Blue Tigers in his final encounter.

FIFA World Cup 2024: India vs Kuwait Details

The final match for Chettri and Qualifier match for the team began at 7 p.m. IST at Salt Lake Stadium and was livestreamed on JioCinema and broadcast on Sports 18 1, Sports 18 1 HD, and Sports 18 3 TV networks in India.

India’s World Cup Qualifier Vs Kuwait ended in a 0-0 Draw

Sunil Chhetri, 39, marked his retirement from international football by leading the Indian squad for the final time. On June 6 (Thursday), Indian football team played against Kuwait Football Team at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

When did Sunil Chhetri make his retirement announcement?

Chhetri made the statement on May 16, and all attention was on the Kuwait game as fans were their to see him during the match and witness his fnal match before retirement from the international football.

India has never lost a game at Salt Lake Stadium since 2006, however their most recent meeting against Kuwait was a draw.

Days before this match, Chettri stated:

"It's not about me and my last match. I don't want to address it again and again. We really want to win this game. This is not going to be easy, but we are ready. We will have tremendous support," 

He added:

"If we win tomorrow we almost qualify. Five top games home and away, I am going to wear nice suits and watch the match wherever the team travels."

The Indian Football team goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, after the Draw of the team against Kuwait, stated:

"We won't have Sunil bhai with us," said Gurpreet, "it's sad, but we need to cope as a team and move on. Unfortunately, cthe world doesn't wait for anyone."

Sunil Chhetri International Career

Sunil Chhetri's 19-year international career as a captain and an irreplaceable footballer of India includes 94 goals in 151 games, with the striker making his debut against Pakistan in 2005 and scoring his maiden goal.

Who is Sunil Chhetri?

Sunil Chhetri is a forward Indian footballer who has captained both the Bengaluru and the Indian national teams. He is popular among his fellows for his teamwork ability, goal-scoring skills, and leadership qualities. He is the world-wide recognized Indian and international football player. 

Sunil Chhetri Age

He was born on August 3, 1984, and is now 39 years old in 2024 at the time of his retirement from the international football.  He was born in Sikandarabad of Hyderabad, currently known as Telangana State.

Sunil Chhetri International Goals After Final Match

Chettri was the third among active footballers in terms of international goals scored, after only Argentina's Lionel Messi (106) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (128) just before his retirement. Sunil Chhetri's international goal score is 94. 

Sunil Chhetri Awards 

In India, Chettri has received numerous football awards, the major awardsc including the Arjuna Award, the country's second-highest sports honour, and the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award. Chattri was also honored with the Khel-Ratna Award in 2021. With his retirement match, his teammates gave him the”Guard of Honour”. 

Will Sunil Chhetri play in FIFA 2026?

Sunil Chettri, the Indian football team's captain, will miss the FIFA 2026 tournament because he retired from all international competitions on June 6th, 2024.

India ended Sunil Chhetri's tenure with a 0-0 draw against Kuwait, after which he praised the media. Sunil Chhetri's international career finished with 94 goals in 151 matches. India will now travel to Qatar to play the Asian champions on Tuesday (June 11, 2024).

Conclusion

Sunil Chhetri's international career came to an end on Thursday, June 6, when India faced Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier. Read the complete article dedicated to the retirement of the outstanding footballer and his retirement from International Football.