Can 'too old, too slow' Suárez continue to deliver for Inter Miami? | OneFootball

Luis Suárez may have starred for futbol giants Liverpool and Barcelona, but six months ago Inter Miami supporters debated whether the 39-year-old striker had a future with La Rosa y Negra.

After scoring three goals and earning selection to Major League Soccer's Team of the Matchday in Sunday's 6-4 come-from-behind thriller against Philadelphia, they're debating why "El Pistolero" shouldn't stay in the Herons' starting lineup.

Suárez joined Inter Miami before the 2024 season and shined in a starting role, totaling 25 goals and 12 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions. His productivity dipped, slightly, in 2025 to a still very respectable 17 goals and 17 assists, but his diminishing pace and trademark volatility became seen as a liability. A tipping point came when Suárez instigated a bench-clearing brawl after the Herons lost the Leagues Cup final to Seattle in August, earning multiple-match suspensions from Leagues Cup and Major League Soccer and reinforcing Miami's "villain" status among MLS fans.

The MLS ban forced former coach Javier Mascherano to replace the Uruguayan in the starting lineup, and the Herons began playing their best soccer of the season. Suddenly, Suárez seemed superfluous, an expensive bench player at best. Many, probably most, supporters expected him to retire when the season ended. It was a surprise -- not a pleasant one for some -- when Miami re-signed the aging striker.

Suárez received a nine-match suspension (three MLS and six Leagues Cup games) for spitting on a Seattle Sounders official after Inter Miami lost the Leagues Cup in August. | Alika Jenner/GettyImages

Earlier this month, Suárez told Miami Herald soccer writer Michelle Kaufman why he chose to sign a one-year contract with Inter Miami after having lost his starting job.

“The decision comes from realizing that you still have a little bit of rope left, that the desire to keep competing is still there,” Suárez said. “And you can see it out on the field. I still get upset by losses and errant passes and I still enjoy those moments when I contribute. I still have that adrenaline, that burning desire to keep playing.

“People say you are just going to enjoy, or to steal [salary], but every place I have gone I have given maximum effort. If I don’t play, I get mad. If we lose, I get mad. if not, I would be in my house relaxing with my children, taking vacations, and I would skip training," he added. "On the contrary, I am passionate about leaving a good impression on the young people, and on Inter Miami. I want them to see that even though you have achieved almost everything, you have to keep being committed, have good values and keep working.”

Before the season, the Herons signed Argentinian born Mexican striker Germán Berterame, 27, to replace Suárez. The former Monterrey standout has 7 goals and 4 assists in 15 appearances, a respectable total but not enough, in fans' minds, to justify his $15 million transfer fee and a designated payer slot. Suárez has 6 goals and 5 assists. Berterame has played 1,134 minutes; Suárez 613.

Recently, Hoyos has started the strikers together, along with Leo Messi, to good effect, but is that sustainable? A few weeks ago, I would have argued it is not. Time remains undefeated; Suárez still is 39, and his knees aren't less brittle. But watching his joy on the pitch, his still almost supernatural connection with Messi, I've begun to think it might be.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Germán Berterame celebrate an Inter Miami goal. | NurPhoto/GettyImages

The Herons need to make a coaching decision as soon as possible; if they hire Hoyos full time or decide to let him finish the season before naming a successor to Mascherano, Suárez likely will continue to see plenty of playing time, and I find myself OK with that. Or, they could announce a big-name signing (Xabi Alonso? Pep Guardiola?) any day now who doesn't value "El Pistolero" as highly, and that's OK, too.

The only thing certain is that the almost two months before the Herons' next match will be full of speculation, rumors and intrigue, and Suárez will be at the center of it.