Why does Luis Suarez not play for Uruguay anymore? Liverpool great not at 2026 World Cup

Uruguay will be without their all-time record scorer Luis Suarez at the World Cup this summer.

The first-ever world champions of football will be competing at their 15th tournament in pursuit of a third title.

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After finishing third in CONMEBOL qualifying, Uruguay will face Spain, Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia in Group H.

Their campaign ended in September but for Suarez, it concluded 12 months earlier in what was his most recent international appearance.

And despite featuring in two of their qualifiers, the former Liverpool striker will not represent his country at the 2026 World Cup.

Why does Suarez no longer play for Uruguay?

Suarez announced in September 2024 that he would retire from the Uruguay national team.

He made his 143rd and final appearance during their goalless draw with Paraguay in qualifying.

In a teary statement, he said: “I leave with the peace of mind that I gave everything for the national team until Friday. I have no regrets.

“There is no better pride in oneself than knowing when the right moment to retire is and luckily I am confident that I am retiring from the national team because I want to take a step aside.”

Suarez added: “I am 37-years-old and I know that it is very difficult to get to the next World Cup. It comforts me a lot that I can retire and not for my injuries to retire me, or to stop being called up.

“It is very helpful to want to take that step aside and feel ready. It is difficult because the decision was not easy.

“But I go with the peace of mind that until the last game I gave my all, and that the flame did not burn out slowly and that is why I made the decision that it should be now.”

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Suarez is Uruguay’s top goalscorer on 69 goals, sitting 11 ahead of Edinson Cavani and 33 in front of Diego Forlan.

His 143 caps are also the second-highest for the South American side.

Suarez’s wild World Cup story

A world-class yet controversial Premier League star during his heyday, Suarez made his World Cup debut in 2010.

He scored one goal and assisted two more for Uruguay in the group stage, then netted two goals in their last 16 win over South Korea.

During the quarter-finals against Ghana, Suarez was at the heart of one of the World Cup’s most chaotic moments.

With the score 1-1, Ghana pushed for the winner and had an excellent chance to grab it during stoppage time of extra-time.

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Dominic Adiyiah had his header saved by the hands of Suarez right on the goal line.

Suarez was sent off and then wildly celebrated by the tunnel after Asamoah Gyan missed his penalty.

Uruguay won 4-2 in the shootout, but the dismissed forward did not play in their semi-final defeat to the Netherlands due to suspension.

In 2014, Suarez scored two goals in the group stage win over England, but then produced another moment of controversy for Uruguay.

During the final group match against Italy, he bit the shoulder of Giorgio Chiellini, the third incident of its kind in his eventful career.

Suarez initially escaped punishment, but was later given a nine-match ban at international level and four-month football ban.

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Two further World Cup goals followed in the 2018 tournament, but Uruguay lost to eventual champions France in the quarter-finals.

Suarez made his last such appearance in 2022 in the 2-0 group win, ironically, against Ghana.