Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri comes out of retirement aged 40

Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri has decided to come out of his international retirement to help the beleaguered national team in the FIFA friendly matches scheduled this month, the sport's apex body in the country said on Thursday.

"Sunil Chhetri is back. The captain, leader, legend will return to the Indian national team for the FIFA International Window in March," the All India Football Federation (AIFF) wrote on its official 'X' handle. 

The move comes less than a year after he announced his retirement after a glorious career, leaving a huge void that is yet to be filled.

Shillong's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will host the Indian senior men's team's two matches that they will play during the FIFA international window this month.  India is set to face Maldives in a friendly match on March 19, followed by a crucial AFC Asian Cup third-round clash against Bangladesh on March 25. Both games will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong, Meghalaya.  Sunil Chhetri, ranked third on the list of all-time international goal scorers behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, is regarded as one of India's greatest footballers. He made his debut for the Indian National Team in 2005, scoring his first goal against Pakistan in Quetta.

Chhetri began his professional career at Mohun Bagan in 2002. He was instrumental in India’s victories in the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, as well as the 2011, 2015, 2021, and 2023 SAFF Championship. In 2008, he captained India to win the AFC Challenge Cup, which qualified India for its first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years.

Honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2011 and Padma Shri in 2019, Chhetri became the first footballer to receive the Khel Ratna Award in 2021. Over a career spanning 19 years, Chhetri has scored 94 goals in 150 international matches, cementing his legendary status in Indian football history.