Suarez confirms retirement plan just weeks after joining Messi at Inter Miami

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 18 Feb 2024 15:16 GMT
• 3 min read

Luis Saurez has confirmed his retirement plans just weeks after being reunited with former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

Suarez joined the David Beckham-backed franchise on a free transfer from Gremio in December, and bookies have now made Inter the favourites to win a maiden MLS Cup in the coming campaign.

As well as Messi, Suarez is joined by fellow former Barca stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at the DRV PNK Stadium, while Tata Martino is their manager.

Excitement is understandably high.

But Suarez has already revealed that Inter will be the last stop in a glistening football career that has also taken in time at Ajax and Liverpool.

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) May 18, 2023

Suarez won't manage

"Yes, I can't be more sincere and the family already knows," he told Uruguayan radio show La mesa de los galanes. "The date isn't yet set, but this is the last step.

"I'm prepared for this last challenge but it's also exhausting and I have to think about having a quality of life afterwards,.

"I don't want to [manage], it's worse than being a player. Because of the hours of work, it requires more time."

Suarez boasts 539 goals and 302 assists from 906 appearances for club and country in his career.

Barca paid Liverpool €81.7 million for his services in 2014, and he went on to win four La Liga titles and a Champions League alongside Messi in 2015.

He is now valued at €7.3m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, and is one of the early favourites to be MLS top scorer in the coming campaign despite his 37 years of age.

Ahead of moving to Miami, there were reports of Suarez's contract being for one year with an option of the second, but neither club nor player have confirmed that.