Emotional Suarez announces Uruguay retirement

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has announced his status from world football.

The 37-year-old fought backmost tears arsenic he confirmed Uruguay's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay connected Saturday (00:30 BST) will beryllium his past quality for his country.

The erstwhile Liverpool and Barcelona guardant is Uruguay's all-time starring scorer pinch 69 goals successful 142 appearances, having made his debut for Uruguay against Colombia successful February 2007.

"I’ve been reasoning astir this and analysing this. I judge this is nan correct time," said Suarez.

"I want to beryllium relaxed erstwhile I play my past crippled pinch nan nationalist team. I'll beryllium conscionable arsenic excited to play arsenic I was successful 2007 erstwhile I played for my nationalist squad for nan first time.

"That 19-year aged kid is now a seasoned player, an older subordinate - nevertheless you want to telephone it - pinch an unthinkable history pinch nan nationalist team, that will springiness his life for nan team."

Suarez played successful 9 awesome world tournaments for Uruguay.

He was sent disconnected successful nan 2010 World Cup quarter-final erstwhile he handled connected nan statement during nan last infinitesimal of other clip to forestall Ghana from progressing to nan semi-finals.

Ex-Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan missed nan consequent spot-kick and Uruguay won nan resulting punishment shootout to scope nan World Cup semi-finals for nan first clip successful 40 years.

In 2011, Suarez led Uruguay to triumph successful nan Copa America successful Argentina, finishing arsenic nan tournament's 2nd apical scorer pinch 4 goals.

At nan 2014 World Cup, he scored doubly to thief Uruguay hit England successful nan group stages but missed nan knockout stages aft receiving a fourth-month prohibition for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini successful his side's last group game.

Suarez was besides handed a nine-game world prohibition and missed nan 2015 Copa America.

"We did spell done difficult moments. There were many," Suarez said during his status property conference. "Personally, it was worse for maine aft my monolithic correction successful 2014. But there's thing that I would reproach."

Suarez would spell connected to play astatine nan 2018 and 2022 World Cups, while he appeared successful 5 editions of nan Copa America.