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New Delhi: Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri has confirmed that his India career is over after making a shocking return earlier this year for the final round games of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. Chhetri announced his retirement from international football in June last year before being persuaded by former head coach Manolo Marquez to make a surprising U-turn.
With India failing to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, Chhetri has decided to retire as far as international football is concerned. Additionally, the 42-year-old veteran is likely to quit professional football altogether, depending on how Bengaluru FC will perform in the upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL).
In an interview with The Times of India, Chhetri said that if Bengaluru FC win the ISL, it will allow him to wear the club's jersey on the international stage.
"But at 42, it’s not easy. I want to score 15 goals this season and retire," Chhetri told The Times of India.
Khalid Jamil replaced Marquez as the head coach of the Indian men’s football team in August this year. Chhetri said that he had informed Jamil about his decision to retire, citing that he returned only for the qualifiers.
"It was easy telling Khalid sir about my decision. When I joined the national team, my only goal was to help as much as possible in the qualifiers. There was nothing else. If there were no qualifiers, I probably wouldn’t have come back. Once it was clear we couldn’t qualify, I was happy to tell the coach and he understood," Chhetri said.
Chhetri’s brilliant ISL form was the main reason why Marquez recalled him back in the national team. He had netted 14 goals in the ISL, which was the second-best after Alaaeddine Ajaraie, the winner of the Golden Boot.
Chhetri further added that he was called into the Indian team because of his ISL form, and the Asian qualifiers really pushed him over the edge to say yes.
"When I chose to come back, I knew this was a possibility because I’ve played long enough. For me, there are no regrets. The regret is that we did not qualify. I gave my best in those four games," Chhetri added.
Chhetri's comeback wasn't good as he managed to score just one goal in six appearances. He now retires with 95 goals in his international career.
