Forward Luis Suarez has decided to end his career in the Uruguayan national football team.
The 37-year-old footballer announced this during a press conference, unable to contain his emotions.
Luis Suarez announced his end of career in the national team
At a press conference, Suarez announced with tears in his eyes that he would play his last match for his country's national team on Friday. It will be a game against Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
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— It’s hard for me to talk about it, but this will be my last game for my country. I’ve thought about it and analyzed it, and this is the right moment, — said the legendary forward, who defends the colors of Inter Miami.
Suarez noted that “he gave everything” to his country from start to finish, but now the time has come to leave.
— I’m 37 years old and I know that it’s very difficult to get to the next World Cup. It’s a great comfort to me that I can leave not because of injuries, or because they stop calling me up, — he added.
According to Suarez, he is going to play with the same enthusiasm he had when he played his first game for Uruguay in 2007, when he was 19 years old.
Uruguay's match against Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers will take place on the night of September 7. Suarez's last tournament was the Copa America, where Uruguay won bronze.
The Career of Luis Suarez
Suarez made his debut for the national team on February 7, 2007, against Colombia. In total, he played 142 matches for the national team, scoring 69 goals and making 39 assists.
In terms of the number of matches played for the Uruguayan team, he is second only to Diego Godin, who has 161 matches to his name. However, Suarez is the top scorer in Uruguay's history.
Luis Suarez will continue to play at club level, where he defends the colors of the American Football Championship club Inter Miami, for which Lionel Messi and Ukrainian defender Serhiy Kryvtsov also play.
At club level, the Uruguayan also played for Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Brazilian Gremio and Uruguayan Nacional.
