India's legendary footballer Sunil Chhetri has announced his retirement from international football after playing 150 matches for the country. Chhetri, who has scored 94 goals in his international career, made the decision in consultation with his friend and Indian cricket captain, Virat Kohli. Chhetri expressed his pride in achieving the milestone of 150 matches and mentioned that it will always be on top of everything for him. He discussed his 19-year journey and stated that he started contemplating retirement after the Afghanistan game in March 2024. While Chhetri is open to the possibility of becoming a coach in the future, coaching is not his immediate priority. He intends to continue playing domestic football for one or two more years with Bengaluru FC. Chhetri's retirement marks the end of an era in Indian football, but he remains optimistic about the future of the sport in the country. [4230f256]
Meanwhile, Portugal's defeat to France in the European Championship is likely to mark the end of Cristiano Ronaldo's international career. The 39-year-old forward struggled to perform at Euro 2024 and failed to score apart from in shoot-outs. Portugal lost 5-3 to France on penalties in the quarter-final, with Ronaldo missing a crucial chance in extra time. While Ronaldo has not made any official statements about retiring from the national team, coach Roberto Martinez stated that no individual decisions have been made. Ronaldo holds the record for the most caps for Portugal, with 212, and the most goals scored in international football, with 130. He has played in six European Championships and won the tournament in 2016. Ronaldo's club career is not over yet, as he top-scored in the Saudi league last season and has another year left on his contract with Al Nassr. [2c1b5f39]