Legendary Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, 37, has announced the end of his international career. Over 17 years, he made 142 appearances for Uruguay and became the nation's all-time top scorer with 69 goals.

"I will play my last match for the national team on Friday. This is a tough decision, but I have made it consciously because I have given everything until the end, and the passion with which I represented my country has not diminished," said Suárez.

Uruguay will host Paraguay in Montevideo on Friday in a World Cup qualifying match for the 2026 tournament to be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

Suárez made his debut for Uruguay in 2007 and was part of the team that finished fourth at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He also won the South American Championship with Uruguay in 2011. Earlier this year, he helped Uruguay secure third place at the Copa America, scoring the winning goal against Canada in the bronze medal match.

"My dream was for my children to see me achieve something great with the national team. That last goal brought beautiful memories for them, even though we didn’t come home with a trophy. I could have retired from the national team then, but after some thought, I decided I wanted to do it in my own stadium surrounded by my people," Suárez added.

Currently, Suárez plays for the MLS club Inter Miami, where he is reunited with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. He has previously announced that Miami will be his final club.

ai-translated