Suarez retires from international football, Messi sends him a touching message

Uruguay's all-time top scorer Luis Suarez has announced his retirement from international football, with Friday's match against Paraguay in Montevideo in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup set to be his final appearance for his country.

"Friday's match will be my last with my country," Suarez, 37, said emotionally at a press conference. "It wasn't an easy decision, but I will do it with a clear conscience that I will do my best until the last match of my career with Uruguay."

The former Barcelona and Liverpool striker, who currently plays for Inter Miami, is considered one of the greatest players of his generation and will retire from international football as his country's all-time leading scorer with 69 goals in 142 appearances.

Suarez, who was sent off at the 2014 World Cup, suspended for nine international matches and banned from all football activity for four months for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini, made his debut for Uruguay in 2007 and helped them win the 2011 Copa America, where he was named the tournament's best player.

Suarez, who has represented his country in nine major tournaments, said on Monday that winning the 2011 Copa America was the pinnacle of his career, adding: "I wouldn't trade the Copa America for anything. It was the best moment of my career. I wouldn't trade it for anything else."

Suarez's career has been marred by some controversial incidents. In addition to biting Chiellini in the 2014 World Cup, the Uruguayan striker prevented Ghana from reaching the semi-finals in the 2010 World Cup when he blocked the ball off the goal line with his hand.

Suarez was sent off as a result, but his country reached the semi-finals on penalties.

Controversy has dogged Suarez throughout his club career, most notably in 2011 when he was suspended for eight matches in England for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Beyond the controversy, Suarez has in recent years helped Uruguay qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and he also played in this summer's Copa America where he was largely used as a substitute by Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa.

He scored his 69th international goal in the third-place match, which Uruguay won against Canada.

Messi sends touching message to Suarez

Argentine football legend Lionel Messi sent a touching message to his Inter Miami teammate, Uruguayan Luis Suarez, after the latter announced his retirement from international football.

Messi posted a photo of himself hugging Suarez on his Instagram Stories, with the caption: “You are one of a kind on and off the pitch. I love you so much.”

Messi and Suarez have had a close relationship since they played together at Barcelona between 2014 and 2020 before meeting again at the American club Inter Miami, where they still play to this day.

Source: AFP + websites