Tuesday, September 3, 2024 - Uruguay icon, Luis Suarez has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 37.
The former Liverpool striker confirmed that he will hang up his boots
following Friday's 2026 World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in Montevideo.
"Friday will be my last match for my country," an emotional
Suarez, 37, told a press conference.
"It was not an easy decision to make, but I do it with the peace of
mind that I will give my maximum until the very last game of my (Uruguay)
career."
The former Barcelona and Liverpool striker is widely regarded as one of
the greatest players of his generation and will retire from international
football as Uruguay's top scorer with 69 goals from 142 appearances, having
made his debut for Uruguay against Colombia in February 2007.
Suarez played in nine major international tournaments for Uruguay.
The Inter Miami forward last played for his country in the
2024 Copa America third-place play-off against Canada in July. Suarez
scored a 92nd-minute equalizer and successfully dispatched his penalty in the
shootout as Uruguay secured a third-place finish. He was not on the game-day
roster in Uruguay’s 1-1 draw against Guatemala in a friendly on Sunday.
He represented Uruguay at nine major tournaments and was part of their
2011 Copa America-winning side. Suarez scored four times at the 2011 Copa
America, including twice in the semi-finals and once in the final, and was
named Player of the Tournament as Uruguay won the competition for the 15th time
and the first since 1995.
Suarez made his senior Uruguay debut against Colombia in February 2007
and was sent off in the latter stages of the game after receiving two yellow
cards. He went to his first World Cup in 2010 and scored three goals in six
appearances, including both goals in Uruguay’s 2-1 victory over South
Korea in the round of 16.
He was sent off in the quarter-finals against Ghana after
blocking Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound effort with his hand in the final minute
of extra time, preventing a goal that would likely have eliminated his side.
Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent spot kick and Uruguay progressed on
penalties to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1970.
After scoring both of his side’s goals during the 2014 World Cup group
stage victory over England, Suarez
bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay’s final
group game and was handed a nine-game ban from international football, ruling
him out of the remainder of the tournament and the 2015 Copa America.
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