I would love to retire with him - Surez wants to finish career with Messi

The Uruguayan striker, Luis Suarez has addressed his future in a press conference ahead of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal against Tigres

Luis Suarez, nearing the end of his contract and career, opened up about his future ahead of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup clash with Tigres, saying his plans won’t hinge on Lionel Messi - even if he still dreams of finishing alongside his longtime friend.

“We’re both at a stage where we’ll make decisions based on ourselves and our families. Of course, I’d love to retire with him - we’ve talked about it for years - but it depends on what each of us decides. I’m happy here, I feel good physically, and if the club wants me to retire here, there won’t be any problem,” the Uruguayan said.

He added, “I know sometimes I can give more. I want to contribute more to the team, but in football there are circumstances where things don’t go your way. I criticise myself, but what matters is helping Inter continue to grow, winning games and titles.

“Individually, we’ll see what happens later - in football nothing is guaranteed. For now, I want to enjoy this stage, and then we’ll see what the future brings.”

At 38, Suarez admitted that a long offseason break made it harder for his body to adapt at the start of the campaign.

“The more matches you play, the better your body feels. I never struggled with a heavy schedule. Footballers are prepared for that - what we enjoy most is playing," he explained. "I’ve had good and bad moments, but fortunately, I’ve always been available to the coaching staff, even with my knee issues,” he said.

Suarez also underlined the camaraderie within Inter Miami, especially with former Barcelona teammates Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, now joined by Rodrigo De Paul.

“It’s a great moment to share with friends. People say players come to MLS to retire, but that’s not the reality. We’re very demanding with ourselves, we still have that competitive DNA that pushes us to win," he said.

He continued, "That’s what took us to the top of our careers. Leo and I always wanted to end our careers together, so now it’s about enjoying it.”

Inter Miami and Tigres will battle on Wednesday in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.