Goodbye Legend: Heartbroken Sunil Chhetri bids farewell to international football

Kolkata: Farewell is supposed to be sad and imperfect. Sunil Chhetri's was no different.

In front of a boisterous crowd, Indian football's goal machine bid goodbye to international football following an emotionally pumped-up match against Kuwait on a humid Thursday evening at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, popularly known as Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata.

India had faced Kuwait in a crucial second-round FIFA World Cup qualifier. At stake was a spot in the final stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifier. The match ended in a goalless draw, spoiling Chhetri's hope of leaving the game on a high taking India on the brink of history.

The never-ending chant

In such a high-voltage situation, the cynosure of all eyes was Chhetri, the 39-year-old long-serving striker and skipper of the Indian national football team.

'Sunil Chhetri, Sunil Chhetri' - the chorus filled the hollowed arena of Salt Lake Stadium as the players walked up to their respective half of the pitch after the obligatory national anthems.

The match would witness such spirited chants whenever the ball touched Chhetri's feet.

It was Chhetri's final moment in the international arena.

An hour before the kick-off, all streets converged at the Salt Lake Stadium; fans came in large numbers intending to make Chhetri's last dance in India jersey memorable.

Outside the gate was a sea of blue; fans walked up to the stands amid loud cheer and chants. All one could see was thousands of fans, with 'Sunil Chhetri' written on their back, walking down the streets to witness the final moment of the living legend. A fan would say, "We are here to pay our homage to Chhetri, the legend."

Inside the stadium, there were giant tifos. One of them was so enchanting as it was meant to grab attention. 'Sonar Sunil, Tomay Hrid Majhare Rakhbo'. It virtually means 'Golden boy Sunil, we will keep you in our hearts'.

Chaos before the kick-off

Before the start of the game, tensions flared though. There was a sense of disbelief. The venue Chhetri himself chose for his farewell wore a deserted look. Some journalists started estimating the final attendance at the venue, while others tried to figure out the reason for the famed stadia's empty look.

As the game progressed real picture became clear. Fans thronged the arena in large numbers, but their entry was delayed at the security check. Also, many fans had to park their vehicles more than one kilometre from the stadium, which added to their trouble.

Over time, the stadium stood at its proud capacity, with the identical vibrant crowd of the iconic VYBK getting into the act, with the final attendance being recorded at 58,921.

Chhetri entered the field applauding the crowd.

In the 10th minute into the first half, fans waited for the big moment when Liston Colaco rushed to the Kuwait box. And from the left, he delivered a flying pass meant for Chhetri, but the striker fell short of the glorious moment.

With the fans settling down slowly, Salt Lake Stadium reinstated its vibrant look. Vande Mataram chants immersed the ground and fans danced to the beat of drums. Some fans also installed tifos expressing the adverse effects of climate change, marking World Environment Day observed the day before. Before the kick-off, one of the tifos showed Chhetri holding aloft the earth-size football, displaying a coalescence of responsibility he bore on his shoulder for two decades and the reality of climate change.

That the referee had to give frequent water breaks owing to extreme heat and humid conditions made the demonstration more telling.

The final moment

Amidst all these, all eyes remained set on Chhetri, with fans hoping for him to score. But the wait got longer and longer. The only time Chhetri got a chance to weave magic with the ball was when he provided a pass, but it was intercepted by Kuwait.

With Kuwait coach Rui Bento limiting Chhetri's movement with zonal marking, he could hardly do anything special. The other time Chhetri blazed was when he headed down a ball in the midfield to prevent Kuwait's forward march.

The mood remained upbeat and encouraged by the atmosphere India tried to rattle the Kuwait defence with a wave of attacks.

Though India failed in the final third, fans were optimistic. Whenever they saw the Blue Tigers attacking, they cheered the team and chanted 'Chhetri, Chhetri', hoping for a moment of wonder. But it was not a day of footballing brilliance for Chhetri.

Chhetri eventually took a lap around the ground, basking in the adulation of fans. But in his mind, he was an unhappy soul. He acknowledged the cheers of the fans with folded hands, held his head down, and cried inconsolably. His teammates gave him a guard of honour as Chhetri walked down the tunnel for one final time. Indian football became poorer!

It was supposed to be a tribute to Chhetri, and fans made it count. A win would have made it more fascinating and enchanting, making it a fairytale finish.