"I cannot be more sincere" - Luis Suarez comments on retirement plans weeks after joining Lionel Messi at Inter Miami
Luis Suarez recently opened up about his retirement plans just weeks after joining his old friend Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, saying that he could not be more "sincere".
Speaking to Uruguayan radio show 'La mesa de los galanes', he detailed his ambitions with Inter Miami and his commitment to playing the beautiful game.
When asked if Inter Miami would be the last club in his stellar career, Suarez said
“Yes, I cannot be more sincere and the family already knows. The date is not yet set, but this is the last step. I am prepared for this last challenge but it is also exhausting and I have to think about having a quality of life afterwards.”
Suarez and Messi enjoyed six successful seasons together at Barcelona, winning every single trophy at their disposal. Together with Brazilian forward Neymar, they formed the 'MSN' trio, terrorizing defences across Europe with their lethal offensive capabilities.
In the 258 games that Messi and Suarez featured together in, the duo had 99 joint goal contributions, with Suarez assisting Messi 56 times and the latter repaying the favour 43 times. Now that they are at Inter Miami together, they have a chance to extend this magnificent partnership even further.
However, the 37-year-old forward has struggled with fitness, with a nagging knee injury keeping him sidelined for extended periods in recent years. He admitted that he battles with chronic knee soreness every game, and therefore Miami would be his last professional club.
He still admitted that Inter Miami have one of the most talented rosters in the MLS and are favorites for the title. He said that the favourites tag placed added pressure on their shoulders, but that they were not fazed by it.
“I don’t know if we have the obligation to be champions, but we are one of the candidates and it is certain that all the teams will want to beat us,” he said.
Lionel Messi set for huge financial bonus due to clause in his contract with Inter Miami and MLS
Lionel Messi is set to receive a huge financial bonus due to a clause in his Inter Miami contract, which entitles him to a share of the revenue generated by new MLS Season Pass subscribers, according to The Athletic.
The Argentine superstar arrived in Miami in July 2023, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the newly founded MLS club owned by David Beckham. He has already bagged 11 goals and five assists in 14 games, sparking new-found interest among fans in the MLS.
According to Sports Business Journal, prior to Messi's arrival, the MLS Season Pass had under a million subscribers. Now, the number has reportedly crossed two million.
With the deal between Apple and MLS standing at a whopping $2.5 billion over 10 years, the Argentine could be set for a substantial financial bonanza.