Neymar Jr sends emotional message to ex-Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez as the latter retires from international football

Neymar Jr sent a heartwarming message to former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez after he retired from international football. The striker made his last appearance for Uruguay on September 6 in a World Cup qualifying game against Paraguay.

Having announced his international retirement days ago, Suarez's fans and teammates gave an emotional tribute to the striker on the match day. Many of his friends teammates, including Lionel Messi and Neymar, shared video messages for Suarez that were displayed on-screen.

In his video message, Neymar said (translation via Mundo Deportivo):

"It is a sad day, but much happier for everything you did for the national team and for what you experienced: having taken your team to the top of football and being the top scorer. It is an honour to know you as a person and as a player. Playing against you is very difficult. I always remember our conversations and our moments."

The Brazilian added:

"I spent very nice moments with you. I know it is a sad day for the Uruguayans because an incredible player is leaving, but I am sure he will remain in their hearts, in their memories and in the history of Uruguay . I send you a hug, I love you very much and we are always together."

The Selecao star played alongside Luis Suarez at Barcelona between 2014 and 2017, when he left the club to join Paris St Germain (PSG). The duo shared the pitch 124 times with 40 joint-goal participations.

Alongside Lionel Messi, Neymar and Suarez were considered one of the greatest attacking trios of all time during their time in Catalunya.

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When Luis Suarez claimed Neymar would have won the Ballon d'Or if he stayed at Barcelona

RCD Espanyol v FC Barcelona - La Liga - Source: Getty

It is widely believed that Neymar Jr was at his peak during his years at Barcelona. His departure to Paris St-Germain (PSG) in the summer of 2017 for a then-record fee of €222 million disappointed Culers worldwide.

In an interview with Placar in 2023, Luis Suarez boldly claimed that Neymar would have won the prestigious Ballon d'Or if he stayed at the Catalan club. Despite boasting nine nominations, the Selecao star has never won the award.

“It is compromising [the statement], but I take responsibility. If Neymar had stayed at Barcelona he would have won a Ballon d'Or, for sure. My view is that if he had stayed he would have won, yes," Suarez said.

The Uruguayan striker also claimed that he and Lionel Messi tried to convince the Brazilian to stay at Barcelona with them. He contiued:

“I didn't really like talking about it, but there came a time when it was already a big deal, so we went to talk to Ney and said: 'Ney, if you want to win everything, stay here with us'”.

Suarez added that the former Barca winger wanted to stay, but his family preferred him to move. He added:

“He listened to us and said, ‘Yes, yes, I want to stay.’ And then there’s the whole environment that is sometimes difficult to control. As friends, we advised him to stay, but it’s his decision, his family’s. We said, ‘Ney, it’s better in England. [Manchester] City, the football will be better there. But in France?’,”

Despite Suarez and Messi's pursuit, the Selecao star ended up joining PSG in 2017 before moving on to Al-Hilal in 2023. However, he has previously claimed his decision to leave Barcelona was a "young and experienced" one.