Sunil Chhetri, former captain of the Indian national football team, is closely following the team’s preparations for upcoming matches against Brazil and Uruguay. Although he has retired from international football, Chhetri expressed mixed emotions about the current squad’s opportunity to face such prestigious opponents—an experience he never had during his own career. He admitted to feeling “a little jealous” of the new generation of players who will compete at this level.
Chhetri spent more than two decades as one of the defining figures of Indian football and represented the national team for close to 20 years. In my 24-26 years as a professional and nearly 20 years with the national team, I never got an opportunity like this,” Chhetri told the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Everyone gets their opportunity, just like I got mine 20 years ago,” he said.
I’m just a fan now, watching like everyone else,” he said. Despite his extensive experience on the international stage, he never faced either Brazil or Uruguay. “I feel a little jealous as a spectator. Rather than dwelling on what he missed, Chhetri urged India’s current players to embrace the challenge. He hoped the squad could stay healthy, approach the matches with belief and compete against two of the biggest names in world football. The former India skipper was also unwilling to second-guess the decisions being made by the current coaching staff. Asked about team selection and the absence of certain players, Chhetri backed the head coach to make those calls based on what he believes the team needs. “The coach has to answer that. The former striker believes the current squad contains enough young talent to make the most of its opportunities. He pointed to his own journey as an example of how important such chances can be early in a player’s career. “This is their time. There are so many talented youngsters in the team.
