Who is the captain of Indian football team?
Football fans all throughout the world, not just in India, are familiar with the name of Indian national team captain Sunil Chhetri. Young football players look up to Chhetri because of his extraordinary abilities on the pitch and his leadership qualities off it.
Chhetri was passionate about football from an early age, having been born in Secunderabad, India, on August 3, 1984. He played for a number of teams in India and overseas after starting his professional career in 2002 with Mohun Bagan.
Chhetri is the recipient of various awards, including the AIFF Player of the Year title, for his skill and commitment to the sport.
International Career of Sunil Chhetri
The career that Sunil Chhetri has had on the international stage is extraordinary. Sunil Chhetri played for the India U-19 team for a very short period of time, scoring two goals in three games before making his senior national debut for the team in the 2007 Nehru Cup.
It was clear from his very first competition that Sunil Chhetri was destined to lead the Indian national football team. Against Cambodia, Syria, and Kyrgyzstan during India’s 2007 Nehru Cup campaign, he scored four goals.
For the first time since 1997, India would win the competition, and Chhetri’s dynasty would begin as they went on to win the Nehru Cup in 2009 and 2012.
When Chhetri played alongside Baichung Bhutia in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, he scored four goals to help India advance to the 2011 Asian Cup, making a significant impact on the international scene. Indian participation in the event has not occurred for 24 years before then.
Prior to the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup, Sunil Chhetri was given the captain’s armband, and he has performed admirably. In 2022, Sunil Chhetri will have amassed an incredible 80 goals and is tied for sixth place in the history of players with the most goals for their country with Lionel Messi.
Goals by Sunil Chhetri in International competition
| Competitions | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| International Friendlies | 62 | 36 | 6 |
| World Cup qualification | 38 | 18 | 0 |
| South Asian Football Federation Championship | 38 | 34 | 12 |
| AFC Challenge Cup | 26 | 14 | 0 |
| Asian Cup qualification | 16 | 8 | 0 |
| Intercontinental Cup | 14 | 22 | 2 |
| AFC Asian Cup | 12 | 8 | 0 |
Individual Awards of Sunil Chhetri
The only Indian football player to win the AIFF Player of the Year award six times in a row is Sunil Chhetri (2007), 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018–19. In addition, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan Award in 2021, the Padma Shri Award in 2018, and the Arjuna Award in 2011.
In addition, Sunil Chhetri won the SAFF Championship Player of the Tournament in 2011, the FPAI Indian Player of the Year award in 2009 and 2018, the Most Valuable Player award in the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008, the Hero of the I-League in 2016–17, and the Hero of the Indian Super League in 2017–18. Because of Chhetri’s aura, some even draw comparisons between him and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of his international contributions.
“Captain Fantastic” Sunil Chhetri announces retirement from Indian football team
The most accomplished football player in India, Sunil Chhetri, has declared his retirement from international competition.
The 39-year-old Chhetri said in a video posted on the social networking site X that the forthcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifier between India and Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6 will be his final match.
“Reminiscing about the last 19 years is a mixture of obligation, stress, and overwhelming happiness. In the past two and a half months, I have played a lot of games for my country, both good and bad, but I never would have imagined that I would.
The sensation was also really peculiar. That this game (against Kuwait) is going to be my last, that’s probably where I was headed,” Chhetri remarked.
And that’s when I began to remember everything—the first time I convinced myself that, yeah, this was going to be my final game. I began to think about this match, that match, this coach, that coach, that team, that member, that pitch, that away match, this excellent game, that awful game, all of my individual performances—it was extremely bizarre. So, I made the decision that this is it.”
When Will Sunil Chhetri Retire?
Sunil Chhetri, the iconic captain of the Indian national football team, announced his retirement from international football after the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on June 6, 2024, at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. His decision marks the end of a glorious era spanning 19 years, during which he amassed 150 caps and scored 94 goals for his country.
Chhetri’s farewell embodies a poignant moment in Indian football history, leaving behind a legacy of unparalleled dedication and remarkable achievements on the global stage.
Full List Indian Football Team Captain:
| Tenure | Captain | Tournaments/Notes |
| 1924 | Mani Das | Calcutta Indians / IFA XI, IFA organised national teams |
| 1926 | Syed Abdus Samad | Calcutta Wanderers / IFA XI |
| 1933 | Gostha Pal | All India XI / IFA XI, 1st all-India national team organised by IFA |
| 1934–36 | Sanmatha Dutta | All India XI / IFA XI |
| 1938 | Karuna Bhattacharya | 1st AIFF organised national team (India tour of Australia 1938) |
| 1948 | Talimeren Ao | 1948 Summer Olympics |
| 1949–54 | Sailen Manna | 1951 Asian Games, 1952 Colombo Cup, 1952 Summer Olympics, 1953 Colombo Cup, 1954 Colombo Cup, 1954 Asian Games |
| 1955/58 | Sayed Khwaja Aziz-ud-Din | 1955 Colombo Cup, 1958 Asian Games |
| 1956 | Samar Banerjee | 1956 Summer Olympics |
| … | … | … |
| 2018 | Subhasish Bose | 2018 SAFF Championship |
| 2012–2024 | Sunil Chhetri | 2012 AFC Challenge Cup, 2012 Nehru Cup, 2013 SAFF Championship, 2015 SAFF Championship, 2018 Intercontinental Cup, 2019 AFC Asian Cup, 2019 King’s Cup, 2019 Intercontinental Cup, 2021 SAFF Championship, 2023 Tri-Nation Series, 2023 Intercontinental Cup, 2023 SAFF Championship, 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
| 2015 | Subrata Pal | |
| 2016/2023 | Gurpreet Singh Sandhu | 2023 King’s Cup |
| 2017 | Sandesh Jhingan | 2017 Hero Tri-Nation Series |
FAQs on the Captain of the Indian Football Team?
1. Who is Sunil Chhetri?
- Sunil Chhetri is an Indian professional footballer who has served as the captain of the Indian national football team for several years. H
2. How long was Sunil Chhetri the captain of the Indian football team?
- Sunil Chhetri served as the captain of the Indian national football team from 2012 to 2024.
3. How many goals did Sunil Chhetri score for the Indian national football team?
- Sunil Chhetri scored a total of 94 goals for the Indian national football team during his international career.
4. Who can replace Sunil Chhetri as the new captain of the Indian football team?
- Subhasish Bose can succeed Sunil Chhetri as the captain of the Indian football team as he did in 2018 during the SAFF Championship.
5. When did Sunil Chhetri announce his retirement from international football?
- Sunil Chhetri announced his retirement from international football after the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on June 6, 2024.
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