As far as football duos go, few were more lethal than Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on the pitch.
Alongside Brazilian superstar Neymar, they formed perhaps the most fearsome trio the game has ever seen- MSN.
The three players won a number of honours with Barcelona, including the Champions League and La Liga, until Neymar jumped ship to PSG for a record-breaking transfer fee.
From that point on, the Catalan giants saw their fortunes take a stark turn, as administrative issues plagued the club and performances seemed to drop each year.
Amidst all this, the Blaugrana’s senior-most frontmen stepped up and continued to provide the goals, with Messi and Suarez leading the side’s offensive tally every season.
They also developed a strong bond in the process, a friendship that has stood the test of time.
Aside from vacationing with each other’s families and ripping up opposition sides on the pitch, the pair also had some intriguing long-term plans, as revealed by Luis Suarez himself.
Speaking in an interview, the Uruguayan shared their secret retirement plans, which sadly have been unable to come to fruition.
After being asked whether he and Messi would retire together, Suarez said ‘We have been thinking about it since 2018. Leo and I planned our whole life together, we wanted to retire at Barca, and then play one more year, but in MLS. (But) Football changes, I left Barca, then he left.’
He continued, ‘In 2018, Messi and I travelled far into the future, about ending our careers together. Our destinies have been separated, but in a few years, we will be together, although I don’t know if in Football. It is increasingly difficult for us to play together again’.
Suárez: "Messi and I ending our careers together? We have been thinking about it since 2018. Leo and I planned our whole life together, we wanted to retire at Barça, and then play one more year, but in MLS… Football changes. I left Barça, then he left." pic.twitter.com/lgJvsJcLTW
Now at Gremio, Suarez was essentially forced out of Barcelona back in 2020, something which Messi himself suggested in his emotional farewell letter to the striker.
The very next year saw the departure of the Argentine from Barcelona, and just like that, their retirement plans fell into disarray.
With Messi playing in France and Suarez playing his trade in Brazil, it is unlikely that the duo will cross paths professionally ever again.
However, there’s always the possibility of a stint in the MLS, although a very slim one.
