Sunil Chhetri: Indian Football Icon Announces Retirement from Sport

The Indian international footballer, Sunil Chhetri, has given 19 long years of his life to football. He has made India proud and is the most popular Indian Football in the world. He has announced his retirement from all formats of  International Football, which has broken the hearts of his fans in India as well as abroad.

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Read the complete news article below and learn in detail about this fabulous player and his retirement announcement. The link to the video in which he made this announcement is also given below.

Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri is a forward in Indian football who captained both Bengaluru and the Indian national team. He is well-known for his cooperation, goal-scoring ability, and leadership qualities. He is the most celebrated Indian & International Footballer. 

Sunil Chhetri Age

Sunil Chhetri was born on 3 August 1984 and is currently 39 years old. On a global scale, he has guided his team to victories in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup, the South Asian Football Federation Championship, the Intercontinental Cup, and others.

Sunil Chhetri Awards 

In India, he has received numerous football honors, including the Arjuna Award, the country's second-highest athletic honor, and the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award. He was also presented with the Khel-Ratna Award in 2021.

Sunil Chhetri International Career

Sunil Chhetri's 19-year career with India includes 94 goals in 150 international appearances, with the striker making his debut against Pakistan in 2005 and scoring his first goal.

Sunil Chhetri International Goals

He currently ranks third among active footballers in terms of international goals scored, after only Argentina's Lionel Messi (106) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (128). Sunil Chhetri has an International goal score of 94. 

Sunil Chhetri Played for Which International Club?

His career was not limited to India; he flew abroad to play for the Major League Soccer club Kansas City Wizards in the United States (2010) and Sporting CP in Portugal (2012-13). These opportunities sharpened his skills and transformed him into a more versatile striker.

Sunil Chhetri's Retirement from International Football

This legendary player has announced his retirement from all International football formats. He is going to play his last international match against Kuwait next month.

Sunil Chhetri's Last Match & Retirement Date

Sunil Chhetri, an Indian football champion, has stated that he will play his final international match on June 6, 2024, against Kuwait, at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Sunil Chhetri, an Indian football superhero, has declared his retirement from international sport.

Sunil Chhetri Retirement Video

In the video, Chhetri shared his decision and stated:

“One last game... for all our sakes...let's win the game and we can depart, happily,"

He added:

"The kid inside will probably keep fighting to play football, but the sensible, mature player and person knows that this is it," he said. "But it wasn't easy." 

You can visit the given link and watch the video in which Chhetri is announcing his retirement from international football:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IftVbBLH65E

Also Read: Top 5 Footballers in the world : Get all the details here

Conclusion

Sunil Chhetri, the best Indian footballer, announced his retirement on 6th June 2024 from international football competitions. He is one of the top three active footballers in the world, yet he was initially neglected due to the vast cricket following in India.