Federico Valverde expresses his gratitude to Luis Suarez for the guidance he’s provided to younger players.
Real Madrid star wants nothing but thanks for Luis Suarez
Striker Luis Suarez will play his final game for Uruguay against Paraguay and Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has revealed he has nothing but thanks for his compatriot.
The first photo on the day I debuted
The second photo that I would have preferred not to have, the day of your farewell.
And the other two that I keep as the best memories.
Thank you for everything Luis, you are and will always be an immense legend in Uruguay.
Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde returned to Uruguay on Tuesday ‘excited’ and looking forward to a win over Paraguay in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Valverde spoke to reporters after landing at Carrasco International Airport. What Valverde talked about more than the Paraguay game was the retirement of his senior team-mate Luis Suarez. He wanted to thank Luis Suarez and thank him for the advice he gave the younger players, as well as everything he gave to the Uruguayans.
“I don’t want to read that Luis is retiring. We have to respect him, it’s his decision. I want to thank him for all the years he has given to us, the young people, for his advice and his values, for the whole country, for those who love football and for the children who always admire Uruguayan footballers. I only have words of gratitude and I hope he can retire in the best way possible,” Valverde told the media.
Former Barcelona and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is one of the greatest players of his generation, and will retire from international football as Uruguay’s all-time top scorer – with 69 goals in 142 appearances, since making his debut for Uruguay in 2007 and across nine major tournaments. Suarez said helping Uruguay win the 2011 Copa America, where he was named the best player, was the pinnacle of his career: “I wouldn’t trade the Copa America for anything else. It was definitely the best moment of my career.”
Valverde, however, respected Luis Suarez’s decision to ‘retire’, as he wanted to focus the rest of his career on club football, where he scored 509 goals in 827 games. Earlier this year, Suarez joined Inter Miami (USA) to play alongside former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets – he has now scored 16 goals in 20 games to help the club lead the MLS.
