The legend of Luis Suárez as a player for the Uruguay national team will write its final chapter next Friday when, in Montevideo, the local team faces Paraguay in the South American Qualifiers. The forward announced that after this match, he will retire from international football after more than 17 years of a glorious career representing his country.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” stated the 37-year-old forward during a press conference to announce his decision. With Uruguay, he played 142 matches and scored 69 goals, making him the all-time top scorer for La Celeste.
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Throughout his career, he scored against all nine opposing teams in CONMEBOL: Chile suffered the most, conceding eight goals from the Pistolero, followed by Peru with six and Bolivia with five. As for Brazil, the current Inter Miami forward scored two goals.
The first was on March 25, 2016, in a match during the fifth round of the Qualifiers held at the Itaipava Arena Pernambuco in Recife, which ended 2-2. The Seleção had taken a 2-0 lead before the half-hour mark through Douglas Costa and Renato Augusto, but the Uruguayans equalized with goals from the legendary duo of Edinson Cavani and Suárez.
The other goal came on October 14, 2021, in a 4-1 defeat to Tite’s team during the qualifying tournament for the 2022 World Cup. It was a Verdeamarela celebration where Neymar, Raphinha, and Gabigol scored, and the Uruguayan netted a consolation goal 13 minutes from the end.
From the bite on Chiellini to glory with Grêmio
Beyond the direct encounters, Brazil is a country that brings back good memories for the forward, although there is also one bad memory. In the 2014 World Cup held there, he was the star of the victory in the group stage against England, although that tournament ended sadly after he was expelled by FIFA for biting defender Giorgio Chiellini in the match against Italy.
In Brazilian territory, he also scored goals in the 2019 and 2021 Copa América editions, shining not only in the Uruguay jersey but also with Grêmio. In the year he spent there, he won the Campeonato Gaúcho 2023 and led the team to the runner-up position in the Brasileirão as the second top scorer and leader in assists.
