In a South American World Cup qualifying match, Uruguay was held to a goalless draw with Paraguay, ending Suarez’s 17-year career with the team. Luis Suarez announced his retirement from international competition on Monday. Having scored 69 goals in 143 games since making his debut against Colombia in February 2007, he concludes as Uruguay’s all-time top scorer.
Prior to kickoff, the 37-year-old player and his family gathered on the field for a pre-game ceremony that featured fan tributes and a video message from Lionel Messi, an Inter Miami teammate and Argentina legend. Among those paying tribute was former Uruguayan manager Oscar Tabarez, who gave Luis Suarez his debut in 2007. There was also the unveiling of a plaque honoring Suarez at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo.
Suarez told the crowd that “Uruguay is bigger than any player. I’ll be another fan starting tomorrow.”
The home team’s best opportunity came from the former Barcelona and Liverpool forward Suarez, but his first-half shot struck the post. Paraguay’s best chance came from Miguel Almiron of Newcastle, but goalie Sergio Rochet stopped his shot. Uruguay remains in second place in the qualifying table, trailing Argentina by four points following the draw, while Paraguay are seventh with six points.
Colombia couldn’t leapfrog over Uruguay after playing a 1-1 draw with Peru in Lima. Colombia remained third in the 10-team standings, five points behind leaders Argentina, and their unbeaten streak in the South American zone qualifiers was extended to seven games as a result of the outcome. With no wins in these qualifiers, Peru is currently ranked last.
Brazil defeated Ecuador 1-0 at home on Friday to snap a four-game losing streak in World Cup qualifying. Rodrygo scored the game’s first goal in the first half of the match. With 10 points from seven matches, Brazil is currently fourth in the group, two points ahead of Ecuador, who are sixth.
The top six South American teams earn automatic qualifying passes to the North American finals in 2026, with the seventh-place team moving on to the playoffs.