{
  "id": 4354803,
  "title": "'I'm Little Bit Jealous': Sunil Chhetri's Candid Admission As Indian Football Team Prepare To Face Brazil & Uruguay | Video",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/im-little-bit-jealous-sunil-chhetris-candid-admission-as-indian",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-30T05:35:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/im-little-bit-jealous-sunil-chhetris-candid-admission-as-indian-football-team-prepare-to-face-brazil-uruguay-video"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri has admitted to feeling \"a little jealous\" of the current national team as they prepare to face football powerhouses Brazil and Uruguay. Chhetri, who spent nearly two decades with the Indian team, revealed that he had never been given the opportunity to play against these renowned opponents during his career. India are scheduled to take on Brazil in Kolkata on October 3, followed by a match against Uruguay three days later.\n\nChhetri expressed his support for the young players in the squad, urging them to make the most of this unique opportunity. He also called upon the talented youngsters to step up on the big stage and deliver a memorable performance for the country. Recently returning to training, the 42-year-old former captain ruled out any immediate plans to return to international football, joking about his current fitness level after just 20 minutes of training.\n\nThe comments came amid a challenging period for Indian football, with the team currently ranked 138th in the FIFA rankings. Concerns over the domestic football calendar and financial difficulties facing clubs have added to the pressure. However, Chhetri called for optimism and urged everyone involved in the sport to take responsibility and work together to overcome the current struggles. He stressed that difficult questions should be asked, but that Indian football needs constructive debate and collective solutions rather than a blame game. Despite the present challenges, Chhetri remains hopeful that Indian football can move forward if all stakeholders come together.",
  "summary": "Former India captain Sunil Chhetri has admitted that he feels “a little jealous” of the current national team after the Blue Tigers were handed the opportunity to face football giants Brazil and Uruguay. Chhetri, who spent nearly two decades with the national side, said he never received a similar opportunity during his international career. India are set to face five-time world champions Brazil…",
  "key_points": [
    "Sunil Chhetri feels a little jealous of current Indian football team facing Brazil and Uruguay.",
    "Chhetri never played against Brazil and Uruguay during his 20-year career with India.",
    "Former captain urges young players to make the most of this unique opportunity."
  ],
  "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."
}