Uruguay football legend Luis Suárez has announced his retirement from international football, marking the end of an iconic career that saw him become the country’s all-time top scorer. Suárez revealed his decision during a press conference on Monday, September 2, stating that he would retire after Uruguay’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay on September 6.
Suárez will conclude his international journey as Uruguay’s most prolific scorer, with an impressive 69 goals in 142 appearances across 17 years. Suárez made his senior debut for Uruguay on February 8, 2007, in a 3-1 victory over Colombia. He quickly became a vital part of the squad, playing a key role in securing Uruguay’s spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. By then, he had already cemented his place in the team, featuring in 19 of the 20 World Cup qualifying matches.
“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…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,” Suarez said in the press conference.
“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,” Suarez added.
The infamous 2010 handball
One of the most iconic moments of Suárez’s international career came during the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal against Ghana. In the dying moments of the game, Suárez committed an infamous handball on the goal line to prevent Ghana from scoring a certain winner. Although he was red-carded, Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty, and Uruguay went on to win the match in a dramatic penalty shootout, advancing to the semifinals.
Suárez’s most recent appearance for Uruguay came in the 2024 Copa América third-place match against Canada, where he scored a penalty in the shootout to help secure victory for his team.
Currently playing alongside his long-time friend Lionel Messi at Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer (MLS), Suárez will now focus solely on his club career, leaving behind an extraordinary international legacy.