Ahead of Sunil Chhetri’s 150th Senior International match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifying Round 2 against Afghanistan in Guwahati, the Indian captain said he never dreamed of playing for the country. In an interview with the AIFF, the 39-year-old Blue Tigers skipper said that when he made his debut in the Subroto Cup, he never imagined representing India as at that time there was no bridge connecting one’s actions to their destiny .
“When I played the Subroto Cup in Delhi, I didn’t even think or dream that I would be playing for the country. The professional setup of playing for a club went too far. There was no bridge that directly connected your actions to your destination. That’s not the case now, as a kid playing in any club knows what he or she has to do to get where he or she wants. That wasn’t the case back then. And that’s why I I never dreamed of playing for the country,” Chhetri was quoted as saying by AIFF.
Chhetri revealed that even a few days ago, he did not know that he was about to achieve the record of playing the 150th Senior International match.
“When I started, it never occurred to me that I could one day play for the country. Even a few days ago, I was not even aware that I was on the cusp of such a record. If you pause for a moment and reflects on It is an incredible achievement. I am very fortunate, extremely grateful and very privileged to be in this state,” he added.
Ahead of India’s upcoming match against Afghanistan in Guwahati, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided to congratulate Sunil Chhetri.
He first wore the Senior National Team jersey on June 12, 2005, during a friendly match against Pakistan in Quetta. He was India’s goalscorer in the 1–1 draw. Since then, he has made 149 appearances for the national team, scoring a record 93 goals. A prolific goalscorer, Chhetri holds the unique record of scoring at least one goal in his first, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th and 125th games for the Blue Tigers.
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