Uruguay and Paraguay drew 0-0 in Luis Suárez’s farewell to La Celeste

Uruguay said goodbye to its idol Luis Suárez on Friday with a poor 0-0 draw against Paraguay at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo, which was packed on Friday night. La Celeste, runner-up to leader Argentina in the pre-World Cup, experienced a special night due to the retirement of Suárez, the Celeste’s all-time top scorer with 69 goals in 143 matches.

“Thank you so much, Lucho!” “You were and will always be my eternal idol,” “You are unique and unmatched”: more than 60,000 souls filled the stands of the Centenario to see the 2011 Copa América champion, who at 37 years of age wore his national team’s jersey for the last time.

But the excitement in the stands did not carry over to the field, where a boring match was played with few risky situations.

The Celeste was rarely able to impose the fast-paced game that distinguishes coach Marcelo Bielsa, contained by a successful defensive strategy from his colleague and compatriot. Gustavo Alfaro, who in his debut achieved what he went to Montevideo to look for: a draw to ease the complicated situation of the Guaranis in the qualifying round.

With this result, Uruguay remains in second place with 14 points, four behind leader Argentina, while Paraguay moved up to seventh place, in the play-off zone for the 2026 World Cup.