Luis Suárez, a striker for Inter Miami, will join boss Marcelo Bielsa’s 26-person Uruguay national team for the 2024 Copa América. He will be joined by Darwin Núñez, a striker for Liverpool, and Federico Valverde, a midfielder for Real Madrid.
Suárez was worried that he might not be able to go to the tournament in the US because of his knee problems, but his recent play for Miami won him a spot on the final roster that was announced on Saturday.
The 37-year-old has scored 12 goals and set up 5 others in 16 games for Inter Miami in all tournaments. This has helped the MLS team get to the top of the Eastern Conference table.
The star player from Barcelona and Liverpool has been a big part of Uruguay’s success. He helped his country win the Copa America in 2011 and now has 68 goals in 138 international games, making him the team’s all-time top scorer. At the Copa América this summer, he will play Panama, the United States, and Bolívia in the group stage. He will try to beat that mark.
Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain and Rodrigo Bentancur from Tottenham Hotspur are also on the team. Notable stars Edinson Cavani and Matías Vecino are not there because they just retired from international duty.
Suárez’s decision to join his national team will be a big loss for Inter Miami. The South Florida team will be missing four important players for the next games. Lionel Messi, Suarez, Matías Rojas, and David Ruiz will all miss the game against the Philadelphia Union on June 15. They may also be out until the Copa América final on July 14.
Rojas and Ruiz have not been officially named to Paraguay’s Copa América team, but they will be with the national team for the friendlies before the event and are still in the running for a spot on the final squad.
This week, Inter Miami will play MLS games against the Philadelphia Union (June 15), the Columbus Crew (June 19), the Nashville SC (June 29), the Charlotte FC (July 3), and the FC Cincinnati (July 6).
The first game of the Copa América takes place on June 20 between Argentina and Canada.
Uruguay The Copa América team is:
Sergio Rochet (International), Santiago Melé (Junior), and Franco Israel (Sporting Lisbon) are the goalkeepers.
Atlético Madrid’s José María Giménez, Barcelona’s Sebastián Cáceres, Dynamo’s Nicolás Marichal, Napoli’s Mathías Olivera, Krasnodar’s Lucas Olaza, Flamengo’s Matías Viña, Flamengo’s Guillermo Varela, and Cagliari’s Nahitán Nández are all defenders.
The following players play in the middle of the field: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Emiliano Martínez (Midtjylland), Nicolás de la Cruz (Flamengo), Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Flamengo), and Agustín Canobbio (Paranaense).
Forwards: Facundo Pellistri (Granada), Maximiliano Araujo (Toluca), Cristián Olivera (Dallas), Darwin Núñez (Liverpool), Luis Suárez (Inter Miami); Brian Rodríguez (América); and Darwin Núñez (Liverpool).
