3 weeks ago
9
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has announced his status from planetary football.
The 37-year-old fought backmost tears arsenic helium confirmed Uruguay's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay connected Saturday (00:30 BST) volition beryllium his past quality for his country.
The erstwhile Liverpool and Barcelona guardant is Uruguay's all-time starring scorer with 69 goals successful 142 appearances, having made his debut for Uruguay against Colombia successful February 2007.
"I’ve been reasoning astir this and analysing this. I judge this is the close time," said Suarez.
"I privation to beryllium relaxed erstwhile I play my past crippled with the nationalist team. I'll beryllium conscionable arsenic excited to play arsenic I was successful 2007 erstwhile I played for my nationalist squad for the archetypal time.
"That 19-year aged kid is present a seasoned player, an older subordinate - nevertheless you privation to telephone it - with an unthinkable past with the nationalist team, that volition springiness his beingness for the team."
Suarez played successful 9 large planetary tournaments for Uruguay.
He was sent disconnected successful the 2010 World Cup quarter-final erstwhile helium handled connected the enactment during the last infinitesimal of other clip to forestall Ghana from progressing to the semi-finals.
Ex-Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan missed the consequent spot-kick and Uruguay won the resulting punishment shootout to scope the World Cup semi-finals for the archetypal clip successful 40 years.
In 2011, Suarez led Uruguay to triumph successful the Copa America successful Argentina, finishing arsenic the tournament's 2nd apical scorer with 4 goals.
At the 2014 World Cup, helium scored doubly to assistance Uruguay bushed England successful the radical stages but missed the knockout stages aft receiving a fourth-month prohibition for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini successful his side's last radical game.
Suarez was besides handed a nine-game planetary prohibition and missed the 2015 Copa America.
"We did spell done hard moments. There were many," Suarez said during his status property conference. "Personally, it was worse for maine aft my monolithic mistake successful 2014. But there's thing that I would reproach."
Suarez would spell connected to play astatine the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, portion helium appeared successful 5 editions of the Copa America.
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