'I’d love to retire with him' - Luis Suárez hints at wanting to extend Inter Miami contract and finish career with long-time friend Lionel Messi

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 criticize 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.”

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. "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.”

When asked about his recent struggles in front of goal, Suárez brushed off the noise. 

“At my age, you can’t pay attention to everything people say," he insisted. "Criticism should make me stronger, not weaker. Surrounding yourself with positive people helps. I don’t dwell on missed chances or mistakes - if I had, I wouldn’t have made it to this point.”

Looking ahead to Wednesday’s quarterfinal against Tigres at Chase Stadium, Suarez stressed the importance of the Leagues Cup. 

“At the start of the season, the Leagues Cup felt far away because we had the Champions Cup, MLS, the Club World Cup," he said. "The Champions Cup was a big blow; we thought we had the quality to reach the final but didn’t measure up. The Club World Cup was a turning point for us. Now we must face every remaining game the way we played that tournament — with intensity. Only that way can we win MLS and the Leagues Cup. We can’t relax.”

Finally, when asked about the so-called “Messi and Suárez FC" in Uruguay, the striker smiled when talking about Deportivo LSM - a club that will start play in the country's fourth division. 

“We have big expectations, and we hope it all goes as we imagine,” Suarez said. 

Inter Miami will host Tigres this Wednesday in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals at Chase Stadium.