Panaji: In a TOI exclusive, Sunil Chhetri revealed he is preparing for life after professional football and could retire at the end of the 2025-26 season if Bengaluru FC fails to win the Indian Super League (ISL) and qualify for continental competitions. “If we win the ISL, it will give me a chance to wear national (winning) club colours and play in international competitions again. At 42, it’s not easy. I want to score 15 goals this season and retire,” Chhetri told TOI in an exclusive video call on Thursday. Regarded as one of India’s greatest footballers, Chhetri ended his international career last June with a memorable farewell at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, where fans showered him with love. However, he was persuaded to return in June this year by then-coach Manolo Marquez. With India now eliminated from the Asian Cup 2027 final round qualifiers, the veteran striker has confirmed that his national team journey has come to a definitive end. “It was easy telling (coach) Khalid (Jamil) sir about my decision,” Chhetri said. “When I joined the national team, my only goal was to help as much as possible in the qualifiers. There was nothing else. If there were no qualifiers, I probably wouldn’t have come back. Once it was clear we couldn’t qualify, I was happy to tell the coach and he understood.” Earlier this year, Chhetri had initially opted out when Manolo called to check his availability for national duty. The coach’s insistence was based on Chhetri’s stellar numbers: 14 goals in the ISL, second only to Golden Boot winner Alaaeddine Ajaraie, far ahead of any other domestic player. Chhetri’s first reaction was polite refusal, but Manolo didn’t give up and called again after a week. By then, Chhetri had consulted his family and close circle, who were sceptical about a comeback. Ultimately, he “went with the gut.” “I was certain I was called because of my ISL form. The Asian qualifiers really pushed me over the edge to say yes,” he said. However, the return didn’t pan out as hoped. India, the highest-ranked team in the final round, remain winless after four games and are out of contention. Chhetri scored only once in six matches since his comeback, taking his international tally to 95 goals—the fourth highest in men’s football, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi among active players. Does he have regrets? “When I chose to come back, I knew this was a possibility because I’ve played long enough,” he said. “For me, there are no regrets. The regret is that we did not qualify. I gave my best in those four games.” Chhetri said he enjoyed being back in the national setup and had made it clear to both coaches that he would not accept the captaincy, giving others like Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan and Rahul Bheke their deserved chance to lead. “I am really grateful to the whole national camp,” he added. “It felt like returning to family. I received so much respect. I am just a little bitter because we should have qualified. We did not perform the way we could have, and that’s why we are where we are.”
