Luis Suarez Left Out Of Uruguay World Cup Squad For First Time Since 2010 As International Retirement Looms
He retired, then said he would never turn down a World Cup call-up, then scored six goals in 11 MLS games. Bielsa still said no. Luis Suarez is out of the 2026 World Cup squad.
Luis Suarez will not be at the 2026 World Cup. Marcelo Bielsa announced Uruguay's final 26-man squad on Sunday and the 39-year-old's name was not in it, making this the first time since South Africa 2010 that a World Cup has taken place without him in a Uruguay shirt. He appeared in four consecutive tournaments from 2010 to 2022, scoring nine goals and becoming his country's most iconic player of his generation. That run is over.
The omission lands harder because of what Suarez did to keep the door open. He retired from international football in September 2024, then publicly reversed course in April, telling reporters he would never say no to a World Cup call-up. He backed that up with performances: six goals in 11 MLS appearances for Inter Miami, behind only Lionel Messi and German Berterame in the club's scoring charts. The form was real. It made no difference.
What Marcelo Bielsa Chose Instead
Bielsa's decision reflects a broader philosophy that has defined his tenure. Darwin Nunez, Rodrigo Aguirre and Federico Vinas will compete for the forward positions, all considerably younger than the player they are replacing in the squad's thinking.
The relationship between Bielsa and Suarez has not been straightforward. After his September 2024 retirement, Suarez publicly criticised the Argentine coach, accusing him of dividing the Uruguayan dressing room. He subsequently apologised for those comments. Bielsa did not revisit the door.
Nahitan Nandez, a starter throughout qualifying, was the other prominent omission from a squad that centres on Federico Valverde, Ronald Araújo and the returning Fernando Muslera, who came out of international retirement and is set to make his fifth World Cup appearance.
The End of a Remarkable International Career
Suarez finishes with 69 international goals for Uruguay, the national record. Only Diego GodÃn, with 161 caps, has more appearances for La Celeste than Suarez's 143. He scored the quarter-final winner against Ghana in 2010, the tournament where Uruguay reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1970. He bit Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and served a ban that defined how much of the world remembers that tournament.
Uruguay are in Group H and face Saudi Arabia on June 16, Cape Verde on June 22, and Portugal on June 28. Suarez will be watching from Miami.