Sunil Chhetri, one of the top footballers India have ever produced, will officially hang up his boots from international football at the conclusion of the India vs Kuwait FIFA World Cup Qualifiers contest in Kolkata on Thursday. Chhetri, the most-capped Indian with 150 appearances, had announced in May that he was calling time on his international career, and that Thursday’s game at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata would be his last.
The Sunil Chhetri press conference | A moment when time stood still and emotions ran high
Chhetri has scored 94 goals for India so far, the most by any player from the country. From taking India to multiple editions of the AFC Asian Cup to winning the SAFF Championship with the national team four times, the 39 year-old has enjoyed a brilliant career. He even won the AIFF Player of the Year a record seven times, with his last coming in 2019.
Ever since his senior India debut in 2005 against Pakistan, where he scored a goal, the forward has been a driving force of the country as far as football is concerned. Yet, the only achievement eluding from this list is not being able to take India to a FIFA World Cup, but Chhetri has laid the foundation for it, inspiring younger generations to take up the sport.
Chhetri also holds the record of scoring most hat-tricks for India, having done so on four occasions. The Secunderabad-born plays for Bengaluru FC in India’s domestic footballing circuit, and is the leading Indian goal-scorer in the Indian Super League (ISL), having netted 60 goals.
Let’s now take a look at the complete list of individual awards that Sunil Chhetri has won in international football, and the year in which he won those:
| List of trophies/awards won | Year (s) of winning |
|---|---|
| SAFF Championship | 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023 |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Cup | 2007, 2009, 2012 |
| Intercontinental Cup | 2018, 2023 |
| Tri-National Cup | 2017, 2023 |
| AFC Challenge Cup | 2008 |
| AIFF Player of the Year | 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| SAFF Championship highest scorer | 2011, 2021, 2023 |
| SAFF Championship Player of the Tournament | 2011, 2015, 2021 |
