Uruguayan football legend Luis Suarez announced his retirement from international football on Monday, revealing that he will retire after 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.”
Former Barcelona and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, has announced his retirement from international football. He will retire as Uruguay’s all-time top scorer, with 69 goals in 142 appearances.
Suarez, who made his debut for Uruguay in 2007, is known not only for his dynamic and skillful play but also for his controversies. He was infamously banned from the 2014 World Cup for four months after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini.
Despite these incidents, he had a stellar career with Uruguay, helping them win the 2011 Copa America, where he was named player of the tournament. Reflecting on his career, Suarez said that inspiring Uruguay to that Copa America title was the highlight of his career, saying, “I wouldn’t trade the Copa America title for anything.”
In addition to his biting incident in 2014, Suarez was also a key figure in the 2010 World Cup controversy when his deliberate handball on the goal line denied Ghana a late winner in the quarter-finals. Ghana missed the subsequent penalty, and Uruguay advanced to the semi-finals after a penalty shootout.
Throughout his club career, Suarez faced controversy as well, most notably in 2011 when he received an eight-game ban in England for allegedly racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.
Suarez continued to play a vital role for Uruguay, helping them qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. In this summer’s Copa America, he was mostly used as a substitute under coach Marcelo Bielsa, but he still managed to score his 69th international goal in a third-place play-off victory over Canada.
Suarez’s international career will conclude after Uruguay’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in Montevideo.
