Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have been spotted trying a new sport away from football as they wile away their summer break.
The South American pals, who have shared the football field as both opponents and teammates, were seen playing Padel together.
Messi could be seen smashing the ball hard twice while Suarez plunged to the ground and was apparently overwhelmed trying to defend.
The pair then shared a warm hug, relishing the pastime as they prepare for Copa America 2024 – their next big tournament.
It was not the first time Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have shared recreational moments together away from the gruelling football schedule.
In 2017, Lionel Messi uploaded footage on his social media of him taking on Luis Suarez on head tennis in a swimming pool while they were playing for Barcelona.
The pair tried to get the better of the other and score some points while relishing the priceless moment. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez’s trail outside the football pitch shows the pair share a strong affinity outside the round leather game.
When he left Liverpool in 2014, Luis Suarez joined Barcelona and played alongside Lionel Messi in the Blaurgana’s attack for six years before leaving for Atletico Madrid.
After his spell with Atletico Madrid, Luis Suarez left for Nacional in his home country, Uruguay. He spent a season with Nacional before joining Gremio in Brazil.
While he was at Gremio, Messi completed a groundbreaking transfer to MLS, joining Inter Miami. Suarez called off his contract with Gremio to reunite with the former Barcelona pal at Inter Miami. Some reports claimed Messi played a big role in the move, convincing the old Barcelona teammate to join him at Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have been the difference in Inter Miami’s campaign in the MLS this season. The pair’s telepathic combination in the Heron’s attack has been the opponent’s nightmare. Luis Suarez has scored 12 goals with 5 assists in 16 MLS games for Inter Miami. Messi has scored the same number of goals with 9 assists in 12 MLS games.
The pair are 4th and 5th on the MLS top scorers chart for 2024. The combined 38 goals involvement by the two players have fired Inter Miami to the top of the MLS Eastern Conference with 41 points from 20 games.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez Inter Miami contract
Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, signing a two-and-a-half-year year contract. He has one year-and-a-half left on his contract which will see him continue till the end of the 2025 MLS season. Luis Suarez is likely to leave Inter Miami before Messi. He signed a one-year contract with the club. The two players have one-year extension options attached to their contracts.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez’s Inter Miami salary
Lionel Messi’s paycheck at Inter Miami is higher than Luis Suarez. Messi reportedly earns $12m per year while Luis Suarez earns $200,000.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez net worth
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have had great careers in football but Messi has had a better career than the South American pal. Messi’s estimated net worth is $600m while Luis Suarez’s is estimated at $20.1m.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez’s career stats and honours
The two players are football legends, having hewn out heroic careers in Europe’s top leagues. Luis Suarez has recorded 820 appearances playing for 8 different clubs, and scoring 503 goals. He has won 138 caps with the Uruguay national team, scoring 68 goals. Messi has made 914 appearances playing for three clubs, and scoring 740 goals. He has won 70 caps with the Argentina national team, scoring 58 goals.
