Sunil Chhetri plays his final international match for India against Kuwait in Kolkata

Sunil Chhetri plays his final international match in Kolkata. Photo Courtesy:  Facebook/Indian Football Team

There was no fairytale farewell for Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri’s international career, as India ended in a goalless draw against Kuwait in their World Cup Qualifying second-round match in Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) on Thursday.

Earlier, Sunil Chhetri had announced that he would play his farewell match against Kuwait on June 6.

The 39-year-old forward retired with 151 appearances for India, 94 goals, and a career spanning 19 years.

Nearly 59,000 fans came to VYBK stadium in Salt Lake to watch the swan song of the legendary captain, who is behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Iran’s retired Ali Daei and Lionel Messi in the all-time international scorers’ list.

After the goalless draw, India maintains their position in second place in their group, setting the stage for a crucial match against Qatar on 11 June, where a victory will be necessary to secure qualification for the next round.