Luis Suarez Bows Out of International Football with Frustrating Draw

Luis Suarez, the legendary Uruguayan striker, bid farewell to international football on Friday, September 6, 2024, as his team played to a frustrating 0-0 draw against Paraguay in South American 2026 World Cup qualifying.

Suarez, 37, had announced his retirement from international duty on Monday, September 2, 2024, after a glittering 17-year career for Uruguay. He finished as the country's top scorer with 69 goals from 143 appearances.

However, the former Barcelona and Liverpool star, who now plays in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, was unable to add a 70th goal to his international tally in his farewell game at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.

Despite enjoying 65% possession, Uruguay were unable to find a way through a dogged Paraguay defense in a disjointed match littered with 24 fouls. Suarez, whose career at international and club level was marred by controversies such as his ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup, was one of four Uruguay players to be shown a yellow card in a fractious encounter.

The result leaves Uruguay in second place in South America's 10-team round-robin qualifying tournament with 14 points from seven games, four points behind leaders Argentina. Colombia can leapfrog over Uruguay with a victory over Peru in Lima later Friday.

The top six teams in the South America standings qualify automatically for the 2026 finals in North America with the seventh-placed team advancing to a playoff.

Tags: #LuisSuarez, #Uruguay, #WorldCupQualifying, #FarewellGame, #Paraguay