Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (American Spanish: [ˈlwis ˈswaɾes]; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Uruguay national team as a striker.

In July 2014, Suárez moved from Liverpool to Barcelona for a fee reported by the English press in the region of £75 million (€94 million), while Barcelona claim a fee of £65 million (€81 million), making him the third most expensive player in football history.^[2][3] The transfer took place after he had won the European Golden Shoe in the previous season with Liverpool.^[4] Suárez is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.^[5][6][7]

Suárez began his career as a youth player for Nacional in 2003. He signed for Groningen in the Eredivisie in 2006 and transferred to Ajax in 2007. In 2008–09 he was named Ajax Player of the Year. The following year, he was made the club captain, helping Ajax win the KNVB Cup while becoming the league's top scorer with 35 goals in 33 games. He was also named Dutch Footballer of the Year and scored 49 goals in all competitions. In the 2010–11 season, he scored his 100th Ajax goal, joining a group of players including Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp in doing so.

In January 2011, Suárez transferred to English Premier League club Liverpool for €26.5 million (£22.8 million). In February 2012, Suárez won the Football League Cup with the club. In April 2014, he won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, becoming the first non-European to win the award,^[8] and the FWA Footballer of the Year. As the Premier League's top scorer with 31 goals he won the Premier League Golden Boot, and shared the European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo. In his first season at Barcelona he helped the club win the continental treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League.

Suárez represented Uruguay in the 2007 U-20 World Cup. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa he played an important role in Uruguay's fourth-place finish, scoring three goals, and also blocked an extra time goalbound header with his hands during the quarter finals against Ghana. At the 2011 Copa América, Suárez scored four goals for Uruguay as they won a record fifteenth Copa América, and he was named Player of the Tournament.^[9] On 23 June 2013, he became Uruguay's all-time record goalscorer with 35 goals. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Suárez scored his 40th international goal.

Suárez has been the source of much controversy throughout his career.^[10][11][12] As well as his 2010 World Cup goal-line handball, he has also bitten three opponents, the latest being Italian defender Giorgio Chielliniat the 2014 World Cup,^{[13][14][15][16]} has been accused of and admitted to diving,^[17][18] and the English Football Association found him guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra,^[19] a decision Suárez disputes.^[20]On 11 July 2014, FC Barcelona announced that the club and Suárez had agreed on a five-year contract for a fee reported by the English press in the region of £75 million (€94 million), making him one of the most expensive players in world football history.^{[2][137][138]} On 19 August, Barcelona reported the fee as €81 million.^[3] The club confirmed that Suárez would wear the number 9 shirt for the 2014–15 season.^[139][140]

Suárez missed the first part of the season after being found guilty of biting Italian player Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.^[141][142] As part of the suspension, he was banned from all "football-related activities," including training for Barcelona, for four months (until 26 October). He was also banned from setting foot in any stadium, even as a spectator, during the same period.^[141][142]

On 24 July, Suárez and his lawyers filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) located in Lausanne, Switzerland, and requested that the sanctions be reduced or the suspension to be lifted.^[143] The parties were heard at a hearing which took place at the CAS offices on 8 August.^[144] Six days later, the CAS confirmed the ban imposed by FIFA against Suárez, who remained suspended from football for four months, as well as a nine-match ban in internationals, the first of which was served in the Uruguay's round of 16 match against Colombia in the 2014 World Cup. However, the CAS removed the player's "football-related activities" ban, and was allowed to train with Barcelona. As a result of this ban, Suárez was banned from participating in the 2015 Copa América. Suárez also played in friendly matches with the reserve team of Barcelona: he was given permission to play for Barcelona B and scored twice in a game against Indonesia U19.^[145]

The CAS permitted Suárez to play in friendly matches, and he made his Barcelona debut on 18 August against Club León of Mexico at the Camp Nou, replacing Rafinha for the final 14 minutes of an eventual 6–0 win in theGamper Trophy. Fellow attackers Lionel Messi and Neymar had already been substituted by the time Suárez took to the pitch.^[146]