Sunil Chhetri, Who Announced Retirement Last Year, Back In National Team

Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri has decided to come out of his international retirement to help the national team in the FIFA friendly assignment scheduled this month, the sport's apex body in the country said on Thursday. Chhetri returns to the team, which he led for more than a decade, aged 40. "Sunil Chhetri is back. The captain, leader, legend will return to the Indian national team for the FIFA International Window in March," the All India Football Federation (AIFF) wrote on its official 'X' handle.

The captain, leader, legend will return to the Indian national team for the FIFA International Window in March.#IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/vzSQo0Ctez

Chhetri, who made his international debut in 2005 and left the scene as India's all-time top scorer and most-capped player, has been included in coach Manolo Marquez's list of 26 players for the March FIFA international window.

The move comes less than a year after he announced his retirement after a glorious career, leaving a huge void that is yet to be filled.

Having played at the top level until he was 39 years of age and ending his career as one of the game's leading scorers with 94 international goals, Chhetri's departure had made headlines with FIFA, world football's global governing body, leading the outpouring of tributes for the talisman.

FIFA had earlier in 2022 released a documentary on the long-serving Indian captain.

Titled 'Captain Fantastic', it had three parts - kick off, mid-game and extra time.

Chhetri is the fourth-highest goalscorer in men's football, after Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Ali Daei.

Chhetri had called it a day after the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6 last year.

The Blue Tigers will play a