Done Deal! Luis Suarez signs with Inter Miami for 2024, will reunite with Lionel Messi

Merry Christmas, Inter Miami fans.

The FC Barcelona Fab Four Reunion is complete. As expected, Inter Miami announced on Friday the long-awaited signing of Uruguayan star forward Luis Suarez, a former Barcelona teammate and close friend of Lionel Messi’s who also played alongside Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at the Spanish club.

Suarez, who turns 37 in January, is one of the world’s most prolific scorers with more than 500 goals for club and country during his career.

He signed a one-year deal for the 2024 Inter Miami season, which kicks off Feb. 21 at home against Real Salt Lake. Suarez was in Miami this week to finalize the deal and will now go on vacation with his wife, Sofia Balbi, and their three children.

“I’m very happy and excited to take on this new challenge with Inter Miami,” Suarez said in a club-released statement. “I can’t wait to get started, and I’m ready to work to make the dream of winning more titles with this great Club a reality. I’m optimistic about what we can achieve together with our shared ambition. I will give my all to bring joy to these great fans I’ve heard so much about while I wear Inter Miami colors, and look forward to reuniting with great friends and players. I’m also eager to meet my new teammates and coaches.”

In addition to getting the opportunity to once again play with Messi, Busquets and Alba, Suarez reportedly was motivated to move to Inter Miami because the 2024 Copa America will be held in the United States over the summer, and it may be the final major tournament Suarez plays for Uruguay. Playing in MLS will get him acclimated to the country and several of the stadiums that will serve as tournament venues.

It remains to be determined whether he will occupy one of the club’s three allowed Designated Player spots or whether the team will use Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to keep his salary below the DP threshold.

He joins Miami after a memorable season with Brazilian club Gremio. Although he was battling chronic knee issues, Suarez played a total of 52 games and 4,557 minutes this season. He scored 15 goals in 32 league games for Gremio and contributed 24 goals and 17 assists this year during all competitions. He was named Best Player and Best Striker in the Brazilian league and led Grêmio to win the Campeonato Gaúcho and Recopa Gaúcha.

He received an emotional farewell ceremony from Gremio fans after his final game a few weeks ago. His off-field impact was massive.

Gremio’s club membership (season tickets) spiked from 60,000 at the start of the season to more than 100,000. Merchandise sales also got a huge boost.

“We are happy to welcome world class striker Luis Suarez to our club,” said Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas. “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 America’s. Coming off an award-winning season in Brazil, Luis will be a key addition to our roster. We will continue to be ambitious and always strive to pursue the Freedom to Dream.

Co-owner David Beckham added: “We are delighted to have a player of Luis’ quality and passion for the game join our Club. He joins a squad that is inspiring the next generation and we look forward to seeing him take to the field with both former teammates and young players from our Academy.”

Suarez, one of the sport’s most clinical finishers, is nicknamed “El Pistolero” (The Gunman) for his signature goal celebration. He points both index fingers and pretends to fire two pistols. He also has made international headlines after being banned three times for biting opponents during matches. The last time was during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when Suarez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, resulting in a four-month suspension by FIFA.

Suarez joined Gremio in 2023 on a two-year deal, but once Messi signed with Miami in July, rumors intensified that Suarez would leave Brazil and join Messi. He negotiated a deal with Gremio to let him out of his contract a year early.

Suarez and Messi played at Barcelona together from 2014 to 2020 and formed one of the most dangerous duos in recent memory. He scored 198 goals in six seasons for the Spanish team and became close friends with Messi. Their families also forged a bond.

Along with Alba and Busquets they won the UEFA Champions League and Club World Cup in 2015 and won four league titles. Before joining Barcelona, Suarez had won the European Golden Shoe with Liverpool.

He also has been one of the most important players in Uruguay’s rich soccer history. He led Uruguay to the World Cup semifinals in 2010 and a year later helped Uruguay win its 15th Copa America title and was named the tournament’s top player.

“Luis is an outstanding striker with a track record of excellence at the very top levels of the sport. He has proven himself to be a singular talent in every league he’s played in over the course of his career thus far,” said Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson. “We’re looking to build on the successes of last season in 2024 and think Luis will be an important addition for us as we prepare to compete in several top competitions.”

He joins an Inter Miami team that had a sensational summer, going on a 12-game unbeaten streak to win the inaugural Leagues Cup, but Messi and Alba got injured and the team faltered late and failed to make the MLS playoffs.

MLS training camp opens Jan. 10. Inter Miami has six preseason games scheduled, five of them out of the country. The team will play against El Salvador’s national team in San Salvador Jan. 19. It will travel to Saudi Arabia in late-January to face Al-Hilal Jan. 29 and Al-Nassr (against Cristiano Ronaldo) Feb. 1 in the Riyadh Season Cup.

Then, it’s off to Hong Kong for a Feb. 4 game against an all-star team from the Hong Kong league, followed by a Feb. 7 game in Tokyo against Vissel Kobe. The one home preseason game so far is Feb. 15 against Newell’s Old Boys, the hometown team of Messi and Inter Miami coach Tata Martino.

Ticket information for the MLS games and the Newell’s preseason game is available on the club website intermiamicf.com