Luis Suárez is suiting up alongside Messi in Miami at the start of 2024, and memories of one of world soccer´s highest-scoring trios in history flood back—namely the 2014 Barcelona triumvirate abbreviated MSN—Messi, Suárez, and Brazilian ace Neymar.
Yet controversy has swirled around the 36-year-old Suárez wherever he´s gone in his career. That´s mainly due to his odd habit of biting and/or hurling racial slurs at select opponents. If he wins it all in Miami, maybe some of the luster will return to cap off Suárez´s stay in the Sunshine State.
Welcome to Miami, Luis!
“We are happy to welcome world-class striker Luis Suárez to our club. Luis is a fierce competitor whose winning drive embodies what we want out of our players. We promised our fans we would pursue the world’s best players to build a squad that can compete at the highest echelons in the Americas.
“Coming off an award-winning season in Brazil (at Grêmio in 2023), Luis will be a key addition to our roster. We will continue to be ambitious and always strive to pursue the Freedom to Dream,” Miami Managing Owner Jorge Mas gushed.
Suárez´s Player-Biting Habit
Let´s stay away from the Miami Beach dreaming part for a minute. When Chelsea´s Branislov Ivanovic felt Suarez´s sharp teeth sink into his forearm in 2013, and Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini reeled as Luis nipped at his shoulder at the 2014 World Cup, they both felt the real wrath that brought Suárez the 2010 nickname, ´The Cannibal of Ajax.´ Back when he captained the Dutch squad, the Uruguayan inexplicably bit PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal´s shoulder during a game.
Don´t worry: Luis was fined and suspended plenty for all that daring dental work. Perhaps more seriously was when he was accused of lashing out at Man United´s Patrice Evra, a Black Frenchman, with the dreaded ´N-word´ while playing for Liverpool in 2011.
Despite issuing various explanations about what he said in the heat of the moment, Suárez never really said he was sorry. Luis, please, keep repeating this phrase: ´No Room for Racism!´
Also Read: Why Messi Can´t Miss in Miami
Besides his biting obsession, Suárez will never be forgiven in Ghana, or the rest of Africa for that matter. His double handball helped Uruguay pip the Black Stars in the 2010 World Cup. He was red-carded at least.
Like everyone, he then watched Asamoah Gyan bash his potential game-winning PK off the bar. It happened to be the last minute of Extra Time. And Uruguay soon walked away winners in a shootout. “I don’t apologize about that. I did the handball, but the Ghana player missed the penalty—not me,” pleaded Suarez later at a news conference.
What side of Suárez will we most likely see in Miami in 2024? Will he become one of the top scorers ever in MLS history? Will fans forget his prior transgressions as he fills the nets next to Messi? Or will he sharpen his canines again and go to work?