Striker Luis Suárez will play his final match for Uruguay on Friday.
Suárez, clearly emotional, shared that he is ending his 17-year international career after the World Cup qualifier against Paraguay at Centenario Stadium.
“It hurts to say it, but Friday will be my last match with my country’s national team,” Suárez said late Monday, holding back tears at a press conference.
“I am retiring because I want to step aside. I am 37 years old, there are many talented players, and I know it would be hard to make it to the next World Cup. It is comforting to know I can retire on my own terms and not because of injuries or not being called up. I want to say goodbye here, with my people.
This is the ideal moment.” Suárez began his international career in 2007 and is Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer with 69 goals in 142 matches.
He has played in four World Cups and five Copa America tournaments. He was instrumental in winning the 2011 Copa America, scoring twice in the semifinals, the winning goal in the final, and was named player of the tournament.
“It’s very difficult but I want to be relaxed when I play my last game with the national team,” he said. “I will be just as excited as I was for my first national team appearance in 2007 when I was a 19-year-old kid.
Now, I am a veteran, an older player, whatever you want to call it, with an incredible history with the national team and I will give my all for the team on Friday.”
In the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals, Suárez used his hand to block a goal-bound shot from Ghana during extra time and was sent off. Ghana missed the resulting penalty, Uruguay won the penalty shootout, and reached the semifinals for the first time in 40 years.
