Luis Suarez reunited with his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi on Saturday and expressed his hope that his move to Inter Miami would enhance his chances of participating in June’s Copa America with Uruguay.
The 36-year-old striker participated in his first training session with the Major League Soccer club on Saturday following his transfer from the Brazilian club Gremio.
Suarez joins a quartet of former Barcelona players at Miami, with Spaniards Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets having joined the club last year.
The prolific striker, who has also played with Ajax, Liverpool, and Atletico Madrid, scored 26 goals in all competitions for Gremio last season and expressed his aspirations for success with his new club.
“Football is always about challenges, and Inter Miami showed me a nice opportunity to dream of winning MLS, which this club never did,” he stated in a press conference after training.
Suarez, who was persuaded to make the move by Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, said he was “dreaming big” for the upcoming MLS season starting on February 21.
He also expressed delight in being reunited with old friends at his new club, saying, “The fact that we are meeting again says a lot about the friendship we have, about how well we know each other on the pitch. And we have to try to enjoy ourselves and want to win, which is our DNA.”
Suarez noted that the veteran core of the team, coached by former Barcelona and Argentina boss Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, would aim to “teach the talented youngsters that at Inter Miami, it’s not about age; it’s about commitment, the sacrifice you make on the pitch.”
Recalled to the Uruguay team for November’s CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, Suarez hopes his form will secure a place for him in the Copa America, held in the United States.
“Coming to the United States knowing that (the tournament) is being played here this year is another plus. (But) it will depend on my performance on the field,” he said. “I want to let the coach see that I can contribute the minutes he wants. (If I am there) it will be because of my performances and not because of the name I have.”
Martino praised the on-field chemistry of the former Barca foursome, saying, “It was obvious, in those 20 minutes, that the four of them have not forgotten how to play together. It was 20 minutes of beautiful football.”
Inter Miami’s preseason includes tests against the El Salvador national team, FC Dallas in Texas, Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, and an All-Star team in Hong Kong before the MLS season opener against Real Salt Lake on February 15.