On September 3, 37-year-old veteran striker Luis Suarez announced his retirement from the Uruguayan national team, ending his 17-year international career. However, the famous player is still playing for Inter Miami because of Messi and will renew his contract.
“The upcoming match will be my last match with the Uruguayan national team . This is the moment I will step onto the field and play with the utmost calmness. I want to thank all the Uruguayan fans,” Suarez emotionally said at a press conference on September 3 at the headquarters of the Uruguayan Football Federation (AUF).
Suarez will play his last match for Uruguay against Paraguay at 6:30 a.m. on September 7 at Centenario Stadium in Montevideo (Uruguay). This is a match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America. Uruguay is currently ranked 2nd in the rankings with 13 points after 6 matches, almost certain to get a ticket to the final round.
“I am 37 years old and it will be difficult to compete in the 2026 World Cup. I am the one who decided to retire, not because of injury or not being called up to the national team anymore. I have thought carefully and analyzed a lot, this is the right time,” Suarez said.
He also shared: “It’s hard to say this. But I have my reasons. It’s time. I will compete for the last time with the team with the same enthusiasm as when I played my first match in 2007, when I was 19 years old and entered the field with all the desire and enthusiasm of youth.”
During his playing career with the Uruguayan national team, Suarez left behind many historic moments such as using his hand to block a clear goal in the quarter-final match of the 2010 World Cup against Ghana, then receiving a red card, but helping his team keep the score at 1-1 and win 4-2 in the penalty shootout to reach the semi-finals. Or the situation of biting the shoulder of defender Chiellini of the Italian national team at the 2014 World Cup.
However, no one can deny that Suarez’s goal-scoring ability in the penalty area is top notch. He has scored 69 goals in 142 games for Uruguay, and is La Celeste’s all-time leading scorer. Striker Edinson Cavani is second with 58 goals in 136 games. Suarez has only had fewer caps for the national team than centre-back Diego Godin (161). He has also participated in 6 Copa Americas, winning the 2011 title, and played in 4 World Cups.
After ending his international career, Suarez will continue to play for Inter Miami and play alongside his close friend Messi until the end of 2024.
According to the American press, Suarez not playing for the Uruguayan team will be a step for him to decide to sign a contract extension for another year with Inter Miami. 2025 is also the last year of Messi’s contract with Inter Miami. At that time, the two close friends will have the next decision to retire together, or continue playing until 2026.
Suarez once confided: “I want to end my playing career at the same time as Messi and in the same club.” Suarez is currently playing his first season with Inter Miami, but so far he has played extremely well and sublimated. This 37-year-old striker has scored a total of 20 goals and has 8 assists in 27 matches for Inter Miami. Of these, 16 goals are in the MLS, ranking 2nd in the list of top scorers, only behind Cristian Arango (Real Salt Lake Club) and Christian Benteke (DC United) who both scored 17 goals.
