DONE DEAL: Luis Suarez signs a blockbuster deal with Inter Miami for 2024,stand a chance to reunite with Lionel Messi

Merry Christmas, Inter Miami supporters. The FC Barcelona Fab Four reunion has come to an end. Inter Miami announced the long-awaited signing of Uruguayan star forward Luis Suarez, a former Barcelona teammate and close friend of Lionel Messi, who also played alongside Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at the Spanish club, on Friday.

Suarez, who turns 37 in January, is one of the world’s most prolific scorers, having scored over 500 goals for club and country. He agreed to a one-year contract with Inter Miami, which begins its season on Feb. 21 at home against Real Salt Lake. Suarez was in Miami this week to finalize the agreement and will now spend time with his wife, Sofia Balbi, and their three children on vacation. “I’m very happy and excited to take on this new challenge with Inter Miami,” said Suarez in a statement released by the club. “I can’t wait to get started, and I’m ready to put in the effort necessary to make my dream of winning more titles with this fantastic Club a reality.” With our shared ambition, I’m optimistic about what we can accomplish. I will do everything in my power to bring joy to the great fans I’ve heard so much about while wearing Inter Miami colors, and I look forward to reuniting with old friends and teammates. I’m also looking forward to meeting my new teammates and coaches.” In addition to the chance to play with Messi, Busquets, and Alba again, Suarez was reportedly motivated to join Inter Miami because the 2024 Copa America will be held in the United States over the summer, and it could be the last major tournament Suarez plays in for Uruguay. Playing in MLS will familiarize him with the country and several of the stadiums that will host the tournament.

It’s unclear whether he’ll take one of the club’s three designated player spots or if the team will use Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to keep his salary below the DP threshold. He joins Miami after a memorable season with Gremio in Brazil. Suarez played 52 games and 4,557 minutes this season despite having chronic knee problems. He scored 15 goals in 32 league games for Gremio this season and had 24 goals and 17 assists overall. He was named the Brazilian league’s Best Player and Striker, and he helped Grêmio win the Campeonato Gacho and Recopa Gacha.

Gremio fans gave him an emotional farewell ceremony after his final game a few weeks ago. His off-field impact was enormous. Gremio’s club membership (season tickets) increased from 60,000 to more than 100,000 at the start of the season. Merchandise sales increased significantly as well.

“We are delighted to welcome world-class striker Luis Suarez to Inter Miami,” Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said. “Luis is a fierce competitor whose competitive drive embodies what we expect from our players.” We promised our fans that we would seek out the best players in the world in order to build a team capable of competing at the highest levels in the Americas. Luis, who just finished an award-winning season in Brazil, will be an important addition to our roster. We will remain ambitious and strive to achieve the Freedom to Dream. “We are delighted to have a player of Luis’ quality and passion for the game join our Club,” said co-owner David Beckham. He joins a team that is inspiring the next generation, and we are excited to see him play alongside former teammates and young players from our Academy.” Suarez, one of the game’s most clinical finishers, is known as “El Pistolero” (The Gunman) for his trademark goal celebration. He pretends to fire two pistols by pointing both index fingers. He has also made international headlines after receiving three suspensions for biting opponents during matches. Suarez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, earning him a four-month suspension from FIFA.

Suarez signed a two-year contract with Gremio in 2023, but when Messi signed with Miami in July, rumors swirled that Suarez would leave Brazil to join Messi. He worked out an agreement with Gremio to get out of his contract a year early. Suarez and Messi were teammates at Barcelona from 2014 to 2020, and they were one of the most dangerous duos in recent memory. He scored 198 goals for Spain in six seasons and became close friends with Messi. Their families became close as well. In 2015, they won the UEFA Champions League and Club World Cup with Alba and Busquets, as well as four league titles. Suarez had previously won the European Golden Shoe with Liverpool.