Luis Suarez, the prolific Uruguayan forward, declared the conclusion of his international career on Monday. With an impressive tally of 69 goals, Suarez retires as Uruguay's all-time leading scorer, having represented his nation for 17 years.
The veteran player, aged 37, earned 142 appearances for Uruguay since his debut in 2007. Suarez played a crucial role in the team's memorable journey to the 2010 World Cup semifinals and their triumphant Copa America campaign the following year.
"Friday will be my last match with my country's national team," Reuters quoted an emotional Suarez from his press conference.
"The fact that it is my decision to retire and that I'm not retired because of injuries or that they stop calling me for one thing or another, that gives me a lot of comfort, it helps me individually.
"It's difficult but it gives me peace of mind that until the last game I have given my all, and that flame has not been extinguished little by little," the striker added.
Uruguay will face Paraguay in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo on Friday. The team will then play against Venezuela four days later.
In July, Suarez scored a crucial stoppage-time goal against Canada, securing third place for Uruguay at the Copa America. The experienced striker expressed his desire to continue contributing to the national team, stating that one of his aims was to show he could continue to contribute to the national team.
"My dream was for my children to see me win something important with the national team ... that last goal was very nice for them and even though it wasn't a trophy to take home, it was very nice for them," he said.
"I wanted to show people again that I can continue to contribute to the national team and, well, I had the Copa America and yes, I could have done it (retired) perfectly after that, but having analysed the situation, I want to do it with my people, in my stadium.
"I want my children to live this experience. Saying goodbye with the people here is something that I don't know if many have done."
Suarez has already confirmed that his tenure with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami will mark the conclusion of his illustrious football career.
