{
  "id": 4210492,
  "title": "‘Feel a little jealous’: Chhetri on India playing matches vs Brazil, Uruguay",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/feel-a-little-jealous-chhetri-on-india-playing-matches-vs-brazil",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-29T14:19:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/sunil-chhetri-jealous-india-matches-brazil-uruguay-10854931/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former India captain Sunil Chhetri expressed a sense of envy towards the present players who will have the opportunity to compete against prestigious teams like Brazil and Uruguay. The matches against these Latin American sides, along with Panama, are scheduled for October 3, October 6, and September 26 respectively. Chhetri, reflecting on his extensive career in professional football and nearly two decades with the national team, admitted that he never had such an opportunity before. He emphasized that this is the time for the new generation, highlighting the presence of numerous talented youngsters in the team.\n\nWhen questioned about a potential return to India's colors in the future, Chhetri humorously mentioned his current fitness level, stating that he had only trained for 20 minutes and that his age, now around 42, made running a challenge. The matches against Uruguay and Brazil will be held in Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium, while the game against Panama will take place in Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium. These additional matches were included in the AIFF's calendar after India decided to prioritize their high-profile friendly against Brazil, avoiding a scheduling conflict that would have made it difficult for the team to participate in both events simultaneously.\n\nThe inclusion of Uruguay and Panama matches was a result of India withdrawing from the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, which they initially decided to prioritize over the competition. The AIFF had initially planned to send separate squads to both tournaments, but this option was deemed technically infeasible, leading to the final decision.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Sunil Chhetri feels envious of current players facing Brazil, Uruguay, Panama.",
    "Matches scheduled for Oct 3, Oct 6, Sep 26 in Kolkata, Bengaluru.",
    "Chhetri humorously mentions age and fitness as reasons for not returning."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}