‘I Almost Didn’t Make It’: Sunil Chhetri Reveals Injury Nearly Forced Him To Cancel Lionel Messi Meet-Up; Pens Emotional Post On Instagram
Sunil Chhetri: Meeting Argentine great Lionel Messi during his G.O.A.T. India Tour turned out to be a deeply personal moment for former India captain Sunil Chhetri, who revealed he almost skipped the event due to an injury scare. Recently retired from international football as the fourth-highest goalscorer in history with 95 goals, Chhetri met the World Cup-winning Argentina skipper in Mumbai during Messi’s third India visit. Messi, who has scored 115 international goals, is second on the all-time list.
Injury Nearly Kept Chhetri Away
Chhetri shared that he had been struggling with an injury that limited his movement and left him spending more time with physiotherapists than on the pitch. The discomfort nearly forced him to cancel his trip to Mumbai.
“I almost didn’t make the trip,” Chhetri wrote on Instagram, admitting that the professional in him wanted to stay back and recover. However, the lifelong fan eventually prevailed, prompting him to travel despite the setback.
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‘A Dream And A Duty’
Calling the meeting “a dream and a duty,” Chhetri said interacting with Messi in person gave him the chance to express his gratitude for the joy the Argentine has brought to football fans worldwide.
Describing Messi as an artist on the field, Chhetri added that watching him play has often been an “antidote” during difficult moments. The meeting, he said, turned out to be exactly what he needed at that time. Messi also spent time chatting with Chhetri and presented him with an Argentina jersey, making the moment even more special.
LEO MESSI PRESENTING HIS SIGNED JERSEY TO SUNIL CHHETRI. 🥹❤️pic.twitter.com/ClzYeAoSdP
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 14, 2025
Warm Welcome In Mumbai
The former India striker also received a rousing reception from fans at the Wankhede Stadium, with loud chants of “Chhetri, Chhetri” echoing during the exhibition match and related events.
Chhetri expressed happiness at meeting fellow World Cup winners Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez, describing his interaction with Suarez as a moment of “child-like excitement.”
Thanking Mumbai for the overwhelming affection, Chhetri said the internal battle between the professional and the fan ended in a rare win for the latter. “Both sides of me turned up, and the joy was doubled,” he concluded.
ALSO READ: ‘Crowd Full Of Discipline, No Chaos Like Kolkata’: Fans Hail Mumbai’s Crowd Management During Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour
The post ‘I Almost Didn’t Make It’: Sunil Chhetri Reveals Injury Nearly Forced Him To Cancel Lionel Messi Meet-Up; Pens Emotional Post On Instagram appeared first on NewsX.
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