Luis Suarez announced his retirement from international football
Luis Suarez, Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer, has announced his retirement from international football after the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Paraguay. The match, which will be played in front of his home fans in Montevideo on Friday, will mark the end of an era for one of football’s most prolific strikers. “Friday will be my last match for the national team,” an emotional Suarez, 37, revealed at the press conference. “It was not an easy decision, but I feel at peace knowing that I gave everything I had until the last match for Uruguay.”
The former Barcelona and Liverpool striker, considered one of the greatest players of his generation, would become Uruguay’s top scorer with 69 goals in 142 appearances since his debut in 2007, going through 9 major tournaments. Reflecting on his career, Suarez highlighted winning the 2011 Copa America—where he was named the tournament’s best player—as his greatest achievement: “I wouldn’t trade the title Copa America for anything else It was definitely the best moment of my life’s football career.
This summer’s Copa America marked Suarez’s last major tournament, where he was mainly used as a substitute by coach Marcelo Bielsa. Suarez scored his 69th international goal in the third place match against Canada. Famous for his dynamic playing style, sharp dribbling and excellent scoring instincts, Suarez’s career was also marred by controversy. The most infamous incident occurred at the 2014 World Cup, where he was banned for four months after biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. Previously, in the 2010 World Cup, Suarez played a villain when he used his hand to block a close-range shot, causing Ghana to not be able to advance to the semi-finals after a heartbreaking loss to Uruguay in the penalty shootout.
At club level, Suarez has scored 509 goals in 827 matches, his career is no stranger to controversy. Notably, in 2011, he was banned for eight matches in England following allegations of racism against Manchester United’s Patrice Evra. Earlier this year, Suarez joined Inter Miami in the US, reuniting with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. Since then, he has scored 16 goals in 20 games, helping the club top the MLS standings.
As Suarez prepares to retire from international football, his legacy as one of Uruguay’s greatest players remains intact, leaving behind memories that are both dazzling and controversial.
