Sunil Chhetri, India’s all-time top scorer and former captain, came out of retirement to play for his country later this month against Bangladesh and the Maldives during the March international window.
In June of last year, Chhetri, 40, declared his retirement from international football following a goalless tie with Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying tournament.
After Ali Daei, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo, he is the fourth-highest goal scorer in men’s football with 94 goals.
In the Indian Super League, the country’s premier level, he has nevertheless persisted in playing for Bengaluru FC, becoming the team’s highest-scoring Indian player this season with 12 goals.
Chhetri started 17 of his 23 games with the Blues, and he has 14 goals and two assists to his credit.
After Bengaluru finished third from last in the previous season, Chhetri, who is currently ranked second in the Golden Boot race, helped the team make it back to the playoffs.
India’s qualifying group includes Singapore, Hong Kong (China), and Bangladesh. Before playing Bangladesh in the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, it will kick off its campaign later this month at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong with a friendly match against the Maldives on March 19.
