The Talismanic striker and former captain Sunil Chhetri withdrew as the fourth higher scorer of international football in June of last year, signing with 94 goals in 151 appearances. His return, however, met with mixed reactions of Indian football fans.
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The legend of Indian football Sunil Chhetri should find the Blue Tigers less than a year after having made them an emotional farewell when he will come out of his retirement during the International FIFA window in March. The Talismanic striker and former captain Chhetri had offered the Indian team a farewell in tears at the emblematic stadium of Salt Lake of Kolkata in June of last year, making his last appearance in the virgin draw of the team against Kuwait.
𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐈 𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊. 🇮🇳
The captain, the leader, the legend will return to the Indian national team for the International FIFA window in March.#Indianfootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/vzsqo0Ctez
– Indian football team (@indianfootball) March 6, 2025
Chhetri, who continues to represent Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), had retired as the fourth largest international scorer in the history of sport with 94 goals in 151 matches, since its beginnings against Pakistan in 2005.
Leaving retirement, Chhetri will have the opportunity to join the players’ elite list with 100 international or more goals, joining the big ones of all time Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
While many have expressed a joy that the 40 -year -old again wearing the emblematic blue jersey, there were those who deplored the inability of the Indian football system to focus on Chhetri’s successor in international football.
Here are some of the reactions on the return of Chhetri:
It looks like the answer to which after Chhetri’s question is Chhetri himself https://t.co/ngsdk4yblh
– Mihir Vasavda (@Mihirsv) March 6, 2025
On the one hand, I am happy to see him again in Indian colors, but on the other hand, it’s really sad and unhappy that throughout the country, we do not find a replacement of Sunil Chhetri
– Sohom (@awaarahoon) March 6, 2025
Words cannot describe how much I feel about Sunil Chhetri Sir comes out of retirement.
Our football system could not replace a 40 years.– Markaroni (@muktesharma) March 6, 2025
Yes, it’s good that Chhetri is back. It is also a direct indication how cooked we are. It is a careful verification of reality. So many questions about the reasons why these next generation players who occur for clubs cannot reproduce it with the national team, that clubs can do to help.#Indianfootball
– Aswathy santhosh (@_aswathy_s) March 6, 2025
Sunil Chhetri, 40, leaving retirement to save Indian football?
The state of sport in this country. Wow.
– Akshata Shukla (@Shukla_akshata) March 6, 2025
Imagine the state of Indian football that you have to call Sunil Chhetri 40 years old out of retirement because you know that there is not even a player who can get closer to his forties.#indanfootball #Sunilchhetri
– Fan Thapa (@ thapa15fan) March 6, 2025
India, currently trained by Manolo Marquez, after having separated from Igor Stimac shortly after the retreat of Chhetri, will face the Maldives as well as the neighbors of Bangladesh in the international window later this month.
