Uruguay football legend Luis Suarez, who is regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest strikers of all time, known for his goal-scoring ability and his achievements for both club and country, announced his retirement from international football.

This marks 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, stating that he will retire after Uruguay's FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay on September 6.

Uruguay legend will retire as the country's all-time leading scorer, boasting an outstanding record of 69 goals in 142 appearances spanning 17 years. He made his debut for Uruguay back in 2007 on February 8 in a 3-1 win over Colombia. Suarez swiftly became indispensable to the team, playing a crucial role in Uruguay's qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

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"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.

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Suarez's outstanding career was characterised by both brightness and controversy. The talented and dynamic attacker, known for his clinical finishing, was often mired in controversial incidents. Two notable examples include the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he was expelled for biting an opponent, and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where his deliberate handball on the goal-line prevented a certain Ghana winner in the quarterfinals. Suarez's red card and Ghana's next missed penalty allowed Uruguay to advance to the semifinals via a penalty shootout.

His last feature in a match for Uruguay was a memorable one, as he helped his team to a victory in the 2024 Copa América third-place match against Canada by scoring a crucial penalty in the shootout. Now, as he continues his club career alongside his longtime friend and fellow football legend Lionel Messi at Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer (MLS).


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