Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, plenty of international managers have been accused of ‘nostalgia picks’ within their squad. Legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar will all be travelling to the tournament – former Liverpool and Barcelona star Luis Suarez, on the other hand, will not.
Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa recently announced his World Cup squad, with Suarez not being a part of it. In Bielsa’s defence, Suarez retired from international duty back in 2024, but stated in an interview that he would ‘never say no’ to a call-up.
Speaking with EFE, Suarez said: “I would never say no to the national team if they need me, especially with a World Cup coming up.
“At the time, I stepped aside to make way for the younger generation. I said something I shouldn’t have said. I have already apologised to those I needed to apologise to.
“You realise you still have a little bit of life left in you. You get the urge to keep competing. You can see it on the pitch when you still get angry about the losses and the bad passes, and you still enjoy it when you score goals.”
Luis Suarez 2026 MLS Stats
Games Goals Assists Yellow Cards Red Cards
Luis Suarez 11 6 1 1 0
The quality of the MLS is up for debate, but Suarez has been a force to be reckoned with for Inter Miami this year. Netting seven goal contributions in 11 games, he also scored a hattrick in the last game of the season against the Philadelphia Union, from the left wing position no less.
Suarez has scored four goals in his last five competitive games. Even in a league of middling quality such as the MLS, this form is impressive for a player at the age of 39.
Should Uruguay have taken Luis Suarez?
Ultimately, one must consider whether Suarez is superior to the other strikers in the Uruguay squad first and foremost. Former Liverpool man Darwin Nunez made the cut, as did Rodrigo Aguirre and Federico Vinas.
Nunez stands out as Uruguay’s star forward, but he hasn’t played a single game of club football for Al-Hilal since early February. Due to their squad registration rules, he was forced out of the squad to accomodate the incoming Karim Benzema, despite accumulating a decent goals tally before then (six goals in 16 games).
Federico Vinas has a modest goals tally of nine in 33 games this season. However, he currently plays for Real Oviedo in La Liga – players in elite leagues must be given higher priority.
Rodrigo Aguirre, on the other hand, plays in Mexico’s Liga MX for Tigres. He also has a meagre goals record of nine in 41 games across all competitions – can he be considered a better option than Suarez?
Even at the age of 39, Suarez still has something to offer. His pace and sharpness might be long gone, but his superlative technical ability persists. For our money, we would have taken him – even in a mere talismanic role.