On Monday, Luis Suarez made his comeback to the Uruguay national team for two World Cup qualifying matches in South America, one of which was against Lionel Messi in Argentina.
With 14 goals in 29 games, the 36-year-old Gremio striker is among the leading scorers in the Brazilian league. He is a member of the team that plays in Buenos Aires on Thursday and hosts Bolívia five days later.
Argentina, the World Cup champion, has 12 points and is leading South American qualifying. After four matches, Uruguay, Brazil, and Venezuela have seven points apiece.
In anticipation of their upcoming reunion with MLS side Inter Miami CF next season, former Barcelona teammates Messi and Suárez will square off in this match.
Though only halfway through the two-year contract he signed in December 2022, Gremio coach Renato Gaucho stated that Suárez will leave the Porto Alegre-based club at the end of the Brazilian Serie A season in December.
According to sources who spoke with ESPN earlier in November, Suarez has agreed to a one-year contract with a two-year option to stay in Miami. The Uruguayan veteran simply needs to sign his contract to finalize the transfer.
When asked how he and his colleagues planned to stop Messi in their next CONMEBOL qualifier, Fede Valverde, a star player for Real Madrid and Uruguay, smiled and replied, "I don't know how to stop Messi, I have never been able to."
"When Leo was with Barcelona, I played a lot of games against him, and Casemiro [who played for Madrid] could always handle Leo. Being among the best in the world, he deserves respect."
Entire Uruguayan Team:
Goalkeepers: Santiago Mele (Junior Barranquilla), Franco Israel (Sporting Lisbon), and Sergio Rochet (Internacional).
Defenders: Guillermo Varela (Flamengo), Mathías Olivera (Napoli), Matías Viña (Sassuolo), Bruno Mendez (Corinthians), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Jose María Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Caceres (America),
Midfielders: Nicolás de la Cruz (River Plate), Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United), Maximiliano Araújo (Toluca), Facundo Torres (Orlando City), Manuel Ugarte (Paris Saint-Germain), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Felipe Carballo (Gremio), Agustín Canobbio (Athletico Paranaense), Nicolás de la Cruz (River Plate), Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Facundo Torres (Orlando City)
Forwards: Darwin Nunez (Liverpool), Federico Vinas (Leon), Cristian Olivera (Los Angeles FC), and Luis Suarez (Gremio)
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