Lionel Messi could lose an important teammate from Inter Miami to an unexpected destination

The close of the 2025 MLS season finds Inter Miami on the brink of glory. The team, led by Lionel Messi, will play the MLS Cup final this Saturday, December 6th, against the Vancouver Whitecaps, seeking the first league title in the history of the franchise.

Regardless of the result, the end of the campaign will mark a special moment for the team managed by Javier Mascherano. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, two of the squad’s veterans and historic partners of Messi, will hang up their boots at the end of the season.

However, there could be another significant departure after the final. Luis Suarez’s contract runs until December 31st, and he has not yet agreed to an extension with Inter Miami. Now, a concrete option for his future has emerged from South America, in the final stretch of his career, just two months shy of his 39th birthday.

In Uruguay, Nacional fans are excited about a potential return of the former Barcelona striker in 2026, with the team already qualified for the Copa Libertadores. Nicolas Lodeiro, who returned to Nacional this year after a stint in MLS, admitted he is in contact with Suarez to convince him to come back.

Luis Suarez had a brief stint with Nacional before joining Gremio. (Getty Images)

“We always talk with Luis, hopefully he can come back; we are always trying to persuade him to return,” the former Seattle Sounders player said amidst rumors of a possible return to Nacional for next year.

In the same vein, Flavio Perchman, Vice President of Nacional, offered his perspective on the possibility of a return. “He knows that he has the doors wide open. If he considers that the best way to finish his career is to come here… I haven’t spoken with Luis; what I know is what I spoke about with Lodeiro, and I have no other information. The nice thing is to have hopes, and it is a hope. Let him play the final calmly this weekend. We have time,” added Perchman in an interview with Minuto 1.

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Suárez’s numbers with Inter Miami

Suarez arrived at Inter Miami in 2024 from Gremio in Brazil to reunite with his former Barcelona teammates: Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. The striker made a huge impact from his arrival at the club, where he is the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the Herons, behind only Messi.

Currently, according to Transfermarkt information, the Uruguayan has played 87 matches across all competitions for Inter Miami, registering 42 goals and 29 assists.

In terms of honors, Suarez was part of the squad that won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and is currently one step away from winning the first MLS Cup title in the club’s history when they face the Vancouver Whitecaps this Saturday, December 6th. That match will be the last for Alba and Busquets as professionals, and it could also be the Uruguayan’s final game wearing the Inter Miami jersey.