Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri, who has reached the age of 40, is preparing to return to the national team to help the squad in qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which is planned to be held in Saudi Arabia.
Chhetri, a star forward, has joined the national team for the upcoming match against the Bangladesh squad on March 25 as part of the qualification for the continental tournament. Currently, he ranks third in the list of the best scorers among active players with 135 goals (behind the former Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo with 135 goals and Argentine Lionel Messi with 112 goals).
The head coach of the Indian national team, Manuel Marche, noted: "For us, it is extremely important to qualify for the Asian Cup, considering the importance of this tournament and upcoming matches. I discussed with Sunil Chhetri his return to strengthen the national team, and he agreed, so we invited him to the squad."
Chhetri previously showcased good form in the Indian Super League, where he scored 12 goals in the regular season, helping his team Bengaluru FC reach the playoffs.
