Bollywood stars like Abhishek Bachchan and Arjun Kapoor bid farewell to Sunil Chhetri after his final international game in India’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on June 6. The match, which ended in a 0-0 draw at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Stadium in Salt Lake, Kolkata, marked the conclusion of Chhetri’s 19-year-long career with the Indian national team.
Ending his India career as the side’s most-capped, and most successful player, Chhetri was graced with a loud standing ovation from the 58,000 fans at the Salt Lake stadium. Other than fans, Bollywood football enthusiasts like Abhishek Bachchan and Arjun Kapoor also expressed their love for the footballer.
Abhishek shared a post on Instagram and wrote, “Congratulations Cap on such a Legendary career! It has been an honour to see you play for the country and lead by example. To one of the greatest ever Indian sportsmen. Thank you.”
Arjun shared a pot on his Instagram story and wrote, “End of an era. Thank you Sunil Chhetri for the memories, the passion and the unmatched dedication.”
Meanwhile, India captain Sunil Chhetri was in tears as the Salt Lake Stadium applauded his journey after his final game in Kolkata. The Indian players also gave Chhetri the guard of honour at the end of the match as they bid goodbye to the legendary footballer. Chhetri retired as the highest goal scorer of India (94) after playing the most matches for the team. The 39-year-old ended his career as the fourth-highest goalscorer in men’s international football, behind the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Ali Daei.