Uruguay Icon Luis Suarez Announces Retirement from International Football

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.