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Luis Suarez will play his final match for Uruguay after announcing his retirement from international football during a tearful press conference at Montevideo’s Centenario Stadium.
Suarez said he will step down from the international squad after Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Paraguay and will approach the match with the same tenacity as he did in his first game back in 2007.
“I leave with the peace of mind that I gave everything for the national team until Friday. I have no regrets,” Suarez said.
“There is no better pride in oneself than knowing when the right moment to retire is and luckily I am confident that I am retiring from the national team because I want to take a step aside.”
Suarez, who played for Liverpool from 2011 to 2014, said he takes pride in being able to retire on his own terms.
“I am 37 years old and I know that it is very difficult to get to the next World Cup. It comforts me a lot that I can retire and not for my injuries to retire me, or to stop being called up,” he said.
“It is very helpful to want to take that step aside and feel ready. It is difficult because the decision was not easy. But I go with the peace of mind that until the last game I gave my all, and that the flame did not burn out slowly and that is why I made the decision that it should be now.”
Suarez played in four World Cups, winning the Copa America in 2011 and was named the tournament’s best player.
He is the country’s leading scorer with 69 goals in 142 games across 17 years.
Having been in the squad which finished third in the Copa America in July, the striker added 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 said he would continue to play for Inter Miami, alongside his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi, having said it would be his last club after joining the Major League Soccer side last year.
PA
