Sunil Chhetri Comes Out of Retirement: Back to Lead India in Football!

Indian Football Team, Sunil Chhetri: India’s all-time top goal scorer and former football captain, Sunil Chhetri, has decided to come out of retirement. He had announced his retirement in June of last year, but now, after just 9 months, he is ready to make a comeback.

Chhetri will be playing for Team India in international matches later this month against Maldives and Bangladesh. He will also be leading the team as captain.

Chhetri’s Record of 94 Goals
The 40-year-old Chhetri had announced his retirement after a goalless draw with Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers last June. He is currently the fourth-highest goal scorer in men's football, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ali Daei, with a total of 94 goals.

Chhetri’s Continued Dominance in ISL
Even after his retirement, Chhetri continued to play in the Indian Super League (ISL) for Bengaluru FC. This season, he scored 12 goals, becoming the top Indian goal scorer in the competition. He has played 23 matches for Bengaluru FC, starting 17 of them and scoring 14 goals. He also has 2 assists to his name.

March 19 Match Against Maldives
India has been placed in the qualifying group with Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The team will start their campaign with a friendly match against Maldives on March 19 at Shillong’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. After that, India will face Bangladesh in the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

India’s Coach Comments on Chhetri’s Return
India’s head coach, Manolo Marquez, stated, "Qualifying for the Asian Cup is very important for us. Given the significance of the tournament and upcoming matches, I discussed with Sunil Chhetri about returning to strengthen the national team. He agreed, so we’ve included him in the squad." India’s campaign in the last Asian Cup was disappointing, as the team lost all three group-stage matches and failed to progress.