MUMBAI: Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri will return to the national team aged 40 in an unexpected reversal of his decision to hang up his boots last year.
The former captain, the fourth-highest men’s international goalscorer of all time, played his last match for India in June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier.
Chhetri said last year that “instinct” told him the match against Kuwait should be his last and he bowed out in front of nearly 59,000 fans in Kolkata.
But on Thursday, India head coach Manolo Marquez announced the return of India’s most-capped player for the March international window.
India are out of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and are now targeting the Asian Cup in 2027.
“The qualification for the Asian Cup is very crucial for us. Given the importance of the tournament and the matches ahead, I discussed with Sunil Chhetri about making a comeback to strengthen the national team,” Marquez said in a statement from the All India Football Federation.
“He agreed, and so we have included him in the squad.”
India play a friendly against Maldives on March 19, in preparation for an Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh on March 25.
Football has struggled to find its feet among the 1.4 billion people of India, where the sport is dwarfed by the nation’s longstanding cricket obsession.
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter once called India a “sleeping giant” of football.
Chhetri is a sporting icon in cricket-mad India.
The diminutive striker, who is 1.7 meters (5ft 7in) tall, made his debut against fierce rivals Pakistan in 2005 and scored India’s only goal.
Chhetri had two brief but unsuccessful spells in Portugal and the United States, but has spent most of his career in India.
In 2009 he was offered a contract by London club Queens Park Rangers, in England’s second tier, but he could not get a work permit.
India football great Chhetri comes out of retirement aged 40
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India football great Chhetri comes out of retirement aged 40
- The former captain, the fourth-highest men’s international goalscorer of all time, played his last match for India in June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier
- Chhetri said last year that “instinct” told him the match against Kuwait should be his last and he bowed out in front of nearly 59,000 fans in Kolkata
Irate Carlsen pushes away camera after World Blitz Championships loss
- Carlsen, world champion between 2013 and 2023, had a frustrating second day at the championships in Doha on Saturday
DOHA: Magnus Carlsen pushed away a camera after losing to Vladislav Artemiev at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Qatar, the latest example of the former world champion letting his vexation boil over.
Carlsen, world champion between 2013 and 2023, had a frustrating second day at the championships in Doha on Saturday, splitting a point with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before he was beaten by Artemiev.
When a photographer followed as Carlsen stormed out of the venue, the Norwegian pushed away the camera.
Carlsen attracted attention for slamming his fist on the table after losing to world champion Gukesh Dommaraju at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament.
Also last year, he briefly quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York when governing body FIDE barred him from a round for wearing jeans.
FIDE does not plan any action against Carlsen for Saturday’s outburst but will review the incident if a complaint is launched, CEO Emil Sutovsky told Reuters.
Despite his defeat, Carlsen is still in contention for the title at the championships and sits in joint second with seven points alongside Alexey Sarana, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Artemiev and Hans Niemann share the lead in the open category on 7.5.
