Uruguay's Luis Suarez to retire from international football after facing Paraguay in Friday's World Cup qualifier

Uruguayan football icon Luis Suarez has made the difficult decision to retire from international football, with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier marking his final match for the national team. The announcement was made on Monday, September 2nd. Suarez, who will be stepping down at the age of 37, has proudly represented Uruguay in four World Cup tournaments, playing a crucial role in their journey to the semi-finals in 2010 – a moment marred by controversy due to a contentious handball decision against Ghana in the quarterfinals.

"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," he added.

Having made his debut in 2007, Suarez represented Uruguay in 142 matches and scored 69 goals also being the top scorer for his nation. The upcoming World Cup qualifier will be his 143rd cap for the national side and his last outing in the team’s colours. The former Barcelona man has happy memories with Uruguay having led them to Copa America success in 2011.

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However, Suarez will go down for two most controversial moments in the FIFA World Cup history having denied Ghana a shot at the semis in 2010 and then biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in the 2014 group stage. In the 2010 quarterfinal, Ghana were on the cusp of the World Cup semis when Suarez intentionally denied them a goal with a handball on the line. The resulting penalty was hammered over the crossbar therefore taking the match into a penalty shootout where Uruguay prevailed.

For the Chiellini incident, Suarez was banned for four months from all football-related activities which saw him miss a chunk of first season at Barcelona in 2014.

Suarez’s retirement also drops curtains on an illustrious period for Uruguay with another star forward Edinson Cavani also retiring in June.