Here is all you need to know about Luis Suarez ahead of the much-anticipated Copa America Centenario.

Luis Suarez's participation in the Copa America Centenario will depend on his response to treatment after picking a hamstring injury during the Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Sevilla. Although the Catalan giants were crowned champions thanks to Jordi Alba’s and Neymar’s goals in extra time, Suarez’s pain was written all over his face as he wept uncontrollably after limping off the field. Barca later released a statement confirming that the Uruguayan had picked a hamstring injury, and was on his first phase of recovery. He would then travel to the United States with his teammates hoping to speed up the recovery process and participate in the historic Copa America Centenario tournament.

About Luis Suarez

Luis Alberto Suarez Diaz was born in Salto, Uruguay, on 24th January 1987. He is 1.82 m tall (6 ft) and plays as a forward for FC Barcelona.

Popularity

Widely seen as the best number 9 on the planet, Luis Suarez has a huge following on social media. Here is a quick look at some of his social media accounts, and the number of followers.

Facebook – 17.1 million fans

Twitter – 6.4 million followers

Instagram – 13.2 million followers

Style of play

When Suarez is not scoring, he is creating chances. The 29-year-old is well known for his goal mindedness and ability to take on the meanest defence on the planet. He is also good at set pieces but occasionally, he gets aggressive when provoked or frustrated. He has been previously fined for violent conduct on the pitch with incidences such as biting his opponents and hurling racial slurs. However, despite his weaknesses, the ex-Liverpool man rarely disappoints in the hunt for goals. He finished this season as La Liga’s top scorer with 40 goals, and Barcelona’s top goal scorer in all competitions with 59 goals. 

Suarez has also been instrumental to Uruguay’s national football team since making his debut in 2007 when he scored two goals in six appearances. He has now made 84 appearances for the senior team, and scored 45 goals. 

The ex-Ajax man was instrumental to his side in the 2011 Copa America. He scored in Uruguay’s opening game against Peru (1-1). His side progressed to the quarter-finals after securing a win and two draws. Suarez then scored on post-match penalties to dismiss their rivals Argentina, who were the hosts. He then netted a brace as Uruguay beat Peru in the semis, a game that gave him the Man of the Match award. In the final, he scored the opening goal as Uruguay beat Paraguay 3-0 to win their record fifteenth Copa America Tournament. He was later named the Player of the Tournament. 

Career highlights

Club

  • Won the Eredivisie with Ajax in 2010/11
  • Won the Football league Cup with Liverpool in 2011/12
  • Won La Liga with Barcelona in 2014/15 and 2015/16
  • Won Copa del Rey with Barcelona in 2014/15 and 2015/16
  • Won UEFA Champions League with Barcelona in 2014/15
  • Won the UEFA Super Cup with Barcelona in 2015
  • Won the FIFA Club World Cup with Barcelona in 2015

Country

  • Won the Copa America in 2011

2015/16 was the season of crucial hat-tricks for Suarez; on 17th December 2015, he scored a hat-trick to give Barcelona a 3-0 victory over Guangzhou Evergrande in the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final in Japan. He became the first player to score a hat-trick in the history of the competition. On Feb 3, 2016, he scored four goals in Barcelona’s 7-0 win over Valencia, then scored another four goals against Sporting Gijon three days later. On the final day of the season, he scored a hat-trick as Barcelona beat Granada 3-0, a result that confirmed them as the league champions.

Did you know?

  • Suarez used to sweep the streets of Montevideo before becoming a professional footballer
  • He is married to his childhood girlfriend Sofia Balbi
  • He has a brother called Paolo, who plays for Sonsonate FC in El Salvador
  • His nickname is El Pistolero (the gunfighter) and El Conejo (the rabbit)
  • He became the first Liverpool player to win the Golden Shoe since Ian Rush in 1984

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Mexico 3 - 1 Uruguay

June 5, 2016 8:00pmUniversity of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)

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Uruguay 0 - 1 Venezuela

June 9, 2016 7:30pmLincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

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Uruguay 3 - 0 Jamaica

June 13, 2016 10:00pmLevi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California)

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