“You are the most unique person, both on and off the pitch!!! I cherish you greatly,” Messi’s message to his close friend Suarez read, on the day the Uruguayan star announced his retirement from international football.
Both Messi and Suarez are 37 years old and played together at Barcelona and now at Inter Miami. They had planned to retire together at the same club. Originally, this was intended to happen at Barcelona, but things changed over the past two years, and now they plan to retire in the colors of Inter Miami in the United States.
Messi expressed his gratitude to Suarez with a heartfelt message.
According to AS (Spain): “Suarez’s departure from the Uruguayan national team with his final match this week (against Paraguay at 6:30 AM on September 7) also marks his commitment to Inter Miami for the remainder of his career. Suarez has a contract with Inter Miami until the end of 2024, with an option to extend for another year.”
“All parties are extremely satisfied with Suarez’s quick integration and his role as an indispensable pillar at Inter Miami. Especially during Messi’s long-term absence, Suarez played a major role in helping Inter Miami top the MLS standings and secure a spot in the playoffs for the MLS Cup (at the end of October).”
“The option to extend Suarez’s contract with Inter Miami for another year has not yet been activated. However, the recent actions of the 37-year-old Uruguayan star (retiring from international football), along with Messi’s heartfelt message of gratitude, suggest that contract renewal won’t be an issue,” AS noted.
David Beckham is the happiest person with Suarez’s international retirement and his commitment to Inter Miami
With this development, the person who is truly the happiest is likely David Beckham, the President and co-owner of Inter Miami.
“Congratulations to my friend on an incredible international career. It’s great to see you always playing with such passion for Inter Miami,” David Beckham wrote on his Instagram account on the day Suarez announced his retirement from international football.
David Beckham is very hopeful that not only Messi and Suarez but also Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, top stars of Inter Miami, will extend their contracts for another 1 to 2 years to play in MLS. Meanwhile, young talents at Inter Miami will gradually develop and eventually replace them shortly after the 2026 World Cup.
“The decision to extend the contracts of these stars will be made by the end of 2024, right after Inter Miami competes in the playoffs for the MLS Cup championship. This has been a significant goal of David Beckham since the establishment of Inter Miami. If all goes well, Messi and Suarez will continue playing together in the 2025 season,” AS emphasized.
