Sunil Chhetri comes out of International retirement to play in India's 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers

Indian football legend and former captain Sunil Chhetri delighted the fans as he is set to come out of international retirement ahead of the third round of 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Chhetri announced his retirement from his international career in June last year after India played a goalless draw with Kuwait in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, where he began his professional career. 

After retirement from Indian football, Sunil Chhetri has continued to ply his trade for Bengaluru FC in Indian Super League. A year after bidding adieu to his illustrious international career, Chhetri decided to return to the national team as India prepares for the crucial third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The 40-year-old has been included in the India squad of 26 players led by Manolo Marquez for the March 2025 FIFA International Window. 

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All India Football Federation took to their X handle (formerly Twitter) 'Indian Football Team' to break the news of Sunil Chettri returning to the national team a year after announcing his retirement from his international career. 

“Sunil Chhetri Is Back. The captain, leader, legend will return to the Indian national team for the FIFA International Window in March,” AIFF wrote on X. 

Chhetri will don the Indian jersey in India’s match of the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on March 25. The Blue Tigers have been clubbed in Group C alongside Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The main aim of Sunil Chhetri returning to the Indian team is to help the team qualify for the prestigious Asian football tournament. 

The Indian football team was part of the 2023 edition of the Asian Cup, where they were knocked out of the tournament after finishing at the bottom of the Group A points table without a single win in three matches. This time, with the return to Sunil Chhetri, the Blue Tigers will look to finish at the top of the Group C points table in the qualifying round and book their spot for the Asian Cup 2027, which will be held in Saudi Arabia.

Sunil Chhetri is fourth-leading International goal scorer

The former India captain Sunil Chhetri is the fourth-leading goal-scorer in international football, with 94 goals in 151 matches. He is behind other footballing greats, Cristiano Ronaldo (135), Lionel Messi (112), and Ali Daei (104). 

Chhetri made his international debut for India in the 2004 South Asian Games and went on to establish himself as one of the greatest Indian footballers. The 40-year-old played a pivotal role in helping India clinch the Nehru Cup in 2007, 2009, and 2012, along with the SAFF Championship titles in 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023. He was part of the Indian football team that participated in 2011, 2019, and 2023 editions of the Asian Cup. 

Sunil Chhetri was appointed as the captain of the Indian team ahead of AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. Under his leadership, Indian won the Nehru Cup after a gap of three years in 2012. It was the last edition of the tournament before it was discontinued. Chettri was the captain when India won three SAFF Championship titles in 2015, 2021, and 2023. 

After Sunil Chhetri’s retirement from international football, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu took up captaincy duties. With the veteran Indian footballer returning to the national side, it is unlikely that he would be taking up leadership positions. 

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