"I've been thinking about this and analyzing this. I believe this is the right time," declared Suarez . "I want to be relaxed when I play my last game with the national team. "I'll be just as excited to play as I was in 2007 when I played for my national team for the first time. That 19-year-old kid is now a veteran player, an older player.
"For me individually, it is very helpful for me to want to take that step aside and feel ready. It is difficult because the decision was not easy. But I go with the peace of mind that until the last game I gave my all, and that the flame did not burn out slowly and that is why I made the decision that it should be now."
Leaving a lasting impression at his final significant international competition over the summer, Suarez indeed went out with a bang. He dramatically joined Uruguay's match against Canada at the Copa America, coming on at halftime only to net an equalising goal in the 92nd minute and play a key role in their penalty shootout victory to nab third place.
At 37, Suarez not only entered the record books as the fourth Uruguayan to achieve eight goals across Copa America campaigns but also boasts playing in 18 matches and securing the title back in 2011.
From 2010 to 2019, Suarez was a force to be reckoned with in the striker's role, netting an impressive 303 goals, a figure surpassed only by Edinson Cavani, Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi , and Cristiano Ronaldo , who also turned out for Portugal this summer.
While Ronaldo seemed a step slower during Portugal's premature departure from the Euros, the former Real Madrid icon hasn't dwelled on the idea of hanging up his international boots.
"That's all from the press. It never crossed my mind that my cycle [with Portugal] had come to an end," Ronaldo declared regarding his international career. "Quite the opposite: it gave me even more motivation to continue to be honest."
"The motivation is to come to the national team to win the Nations League. ... We've already won it once and we want to do it again. I might say the same thing over and over again, but I don't think long term, it's always short term."
Ronaldo's record as the top international scorer is unchallenged, with his 130 goals for Portugal far outstripping Messi's tally and more than doubling that of any other European player.
Yet, despite being the most played Portuguese outfield player and boasting an expected goal tally of 3.5, Ronaldo didn't score in five matches, showing signs of diminished sharpness and energy that are not typical of such a legendary athlete. Unlike Suarez, he appears reluctant to accept that his days at the pinnacle of international football may be coming to an end.
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