Sunil Chhetri to be felicitated for 150th international before FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier
Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian Men’s National team, will be felicitated by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), who is expected to play his 150th Senior International match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier on March 26.
India, after drawing with Afghanistan in the away leg, will host it at the Indira Gandhi International Stadium in Guwahati. This round will also serve as the second round of preliminary joint qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
“It’s been an awe-inspiring and staggering cruise that all of us have been fortunate to witness since 2005. Chhetri playing his 150th international match is an extraordinary accomplishment that will go a long way in keeping the Indian football flag flying high,” Kalyan Chaubey, the president of AIFF, said.
READ: Shivaldo’s goal goes in vain as India U23 loses 1-2 to Malaysia U23 in friendly
Chhetri first donned the Senior National Team jersey on June 12, 2005, in a friendly match against Pakistan in Quetta. He also scored in the 1-1 draw.
Since then, he has made 149 appearances for the National Team, netting a record 93 goals. Chhetri holds the unique record of scoring at least one goal in his first, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th and 125th match for the Blue Tigers.
He is also the third-highest active goalscorer (93 goals) in international football, just below Cristiano Ronaldo (128 goals) and Lionel Messi (106 goals).
ALSO READ: Disappointing performance by Blue Tigers in goalless draw in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
“In many football fans’ eyes, Chhetri is almost the synonym of the Indian Men’s National Team, something that is not far from the truth. He is a fabulous footballer, a cool captain, and a star striker,” M Satyanarayan, the Acting General Secretary of AIFF, said.
“The All India Football Federation is proud to felicitate him on his 150th international match. We sincerely hope Chhetri will continue to serve Indian football in the same breath in the future.”