Luis Suarez, Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer with 36 goals, was called up for the first time by new coach Marcelo Bielsa on Monday. The 36-year-old will play against Argentina this week in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Suarez has scored 68 goals for his country. He has been playing great for the Brazilian club Gremio, scoring 16 goals in 29 games, but he hasn’t played for Uruguay since Bielsa took over in May.
The game against Argentina on Thursday will be his first for the national team since they were knocked out of last year’s World Cup in Qatar in the group stages.
Edinson Cavani, who has scored 58 goals for his country, wasn’t picked because he hurt himself playing for Boca Juniors.
If Suarez plays, he will probably play against Lionel Messi, who used to play for Barcelona and scored both goals in the 2-0 win over Peru in the qualifying game last month.
So far, Argentina has won all four of its matches. With 12 points, it is ahead of Venezuela, Brazil, and Uruguay, who are all tied for second.
Six teams from Africa will be able to play in the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be held in North America (Canada, Mexico, and the US).