Suárez to retire from Uruguay with record 69 goals

Luis Suárez announced his retirement from the Uruguay national team in a news conference Monday, saying he will step away from international duty after his team’s World Cup qualifier against Paraguay on Friday.

The former Liverpool and Barcelona star, who is now playing with Inter Miami in MLS, departs as Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer with 69 goals in 142 games across 17 years.

“There is no better pride in oneself than knowing when the right moment to retire is, and luckily I am confident that I am retiring from the national team because I want to take a step aside,” an emotional Suarez told a news conference Monday. “I am 37 years old and I know that it is very difficult to get to the next World Cup. It comforts me a lot that I can retire and not for my injuries to retire me, or to stop being called up.

“For me individually, it is very helpful for me to want to take that step aside and feel ready. It is difficult because the decision was not easy. But I go with the peace of mind that until the last game I gave my all, and that the flame did not burn out slowly and that is why I made the decision that it should be now.”

Suárez made his senior debut for Uruguay on Feb. 8, 2007, in a 3-1 victory against Colombia and soon became an integral part of the squad. By 2010, he featured in 19 of the 20 World Cup qualifying matches to secure a spot for La Celeste at the tournament in South Africa.

The forward played a pivotal role in his first of four World Cups, starting five of Uruguay’s six matches. During the quarterfinal against Ghana, Suarez committed an infamous handball in the final moments of the game, giving Ghana a chance to win the game with a penalty. Though Suárez was sent off, Asamoah Gyan missed the attempt and Uruguay went on to win the match via a penalty shootout and advance to the semifinals.

Suárez continues to defend the action to this day, calling it “the best save of the tournament.”

He has since featured in three other World Cups in 2014, 2018 and 2022 as well as the 2011, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024 Copa Américas.

During the 2011 edition, the forward scored the opening goal in the 3-0 win over Paraguay in the 2011 Copa América final that put the nation on the path to its 15th major tournament triumph. Overall, he managed four goals and two assists that year to earn MVP of the tournament.

“I was lucky to win many titles in my career, but I would not change the Copa América title for anything in the world,” Suarez added. “That Copa América trophy in 2011 was the most beautiful moment I experienced in my career as a professional player. I would not change it for anything and look, I won a lot of other things.”

His most recent international appearance came in the team’s 2024 Copa América match for third place against Canada, where he scored a penalty in the shootout to help his team win.

Suárez joined the star-studded Miami side, featuring Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, ahead of the 2024 MLS season and has been thriving for the Supporters’ Shield leaders. He scored twice in Miami’s last game, a 4-1 win against Chicago Fire FC, bringing his total number of goals for the season to 16.