The All-India Football Federation will felicitate the talismanic skipper of the Indian senior men’s team Sunil Chhetri, who is expected to play his 150th senior international match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 encounter against Afghanistan in Guwahati, Assam, on Tuesday.

Commenting on the 39-year-old Chhetri’s achievement, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey said: “It's been an awe-inspiring and staggering cruise that all of us have been fortunate to witness since 2005. Chhetri playing his 150th international match is an extraordinary accomplishment that will go a long way in keeping the Indian football flag flying high." Will Lionel Messi Play Tonight in New York Red Bulls vs Inter Miami MLS 2024 Match? Here’s the Possibility of LM10 Featuring in Starting XI

"He has been a great influencer who has motivated millions to play this Beautiful Game. I congratulate Chhetri for reaching this great height in international football,” the AIFF president was quoted as saying by the-aiff.com.

AIFF Acting Secretary General M. Satyanarayan said: “In many football fans’ eyes, Chhetri is almost the synonym of the Indian men’s national team, something that is not far from the truth. He is a fabulous footballer, a cool captain, and a star striker.

"The All-India Football Federation is proud to felicitate him on his 150th international match. We sincerely hope Chhetri will continue to serve Indian football in the same breath in the future,” he added.

Born at Secunderabad on August 3, 1984, Sunil Chhetri first donned the senior national team jersey on June 12, 2005, in a friendly against Pakistan in Quetta. He scored for India in the 1-1 draw in Pakistan.

Since then, he has made 148 more appearances for the national team, netting a record 93 goals. A prolific goal-scorer, Chhetri holds the unique record of scoring at least one goal in his first, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th and 125th match for the Blue Tigers.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2024 09:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).