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Uruguay’s prolific striker Luis Suarez has officially announced his retirement from international football. The 37-year-old forward, known for his remarkable career and controversial moments, revealed that Uruguay’s upcoming World Cup qualifier against Paraguay on Saturday (00:30 BST) will be his final appearance for the national team.
Fighting back tears during the announcement, Suarez expressed that after much reflection, he felt this was the right moment to step away from international duties. “I’ve been thinking about this and analyzing it. I believe this is the right time,” Suarez said. “I want to be relaxed when I play my last game with the national team. I’ll be just as excited to play as I was in 2007 when I played for my national team for the first time.”
Since making his debut for Uruguay against Colombia in February 2007, Suarez has become the nation’s all-time leading scorer, netting 69 goals in 142 appearances. His illustrious international career includes participation in nine major tournaments, where he left a lasting impact on the world stage.
Suarez’s career is notably marked by the 2010 World Cup quarter-final incident against Ghana, where he infamously handled the ball on the line in the final minute of extra time to prevent Ghana from advancing to the semi-finals. The resulting penalty was missed by Asamoah Gyan, and Uruguay went on to win the subsequent shootout, denying Ghana a historic World Cup semi-final berth.
In 2011, Suarez played a pivotal role in leading Uruguay to victory in the Copa America in Argentina, finishing as the tournament’s second top scorer with four goals. His performances at the 2014 World Cup also drew attention, particularly in Uruguay’s group stage win over England, where Suarez scored twice. However, his tournament ended prematurely following a four-month ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay’s final group game, which also led to a nine-game international suspension.
