Inter Miami striker Luis Suarez made a surprise announcement on May 27 with a blockbuster special guest appearance near the end of his video message to fans.
Uruguay all-time top scorer Suarez’s personal address to camera was accompanied by dramatic music and shots of football pitches and the 38-year-old with his friends and family.
Miami signed Suarez for the 2024 MLS season and the veteran subsequently agreed an extension for the 2025 campaign, although his latest news indicates he has an increasingly keen eye on the future and his interests outside of playing.
What is Deportivo LSM and what have Suarez and Lionel Messi said about the venture? 101GreatGoals.com explains the story so far.
— Luis Suárez (@LuisSuarez9) May 27, 2025
📰 Table Of Contents
Messi and Suarez announce soccer club
“Deportivo LS is a family dream that began in 2018,” said Suarez, discussing his creation of sports and educational facilities.
“We have grown a lot, with more than 3,000 members and excellent infrastructure – both in the complex and sports city – that offers our members many activities.
“My family and I believe a lot in this project. We have more than 80 professionals working with us there every day… I want to offer Uruguayan football – the football I’ve loved and grown up with since I was a kid – opportunities and tools for all teenagers and children to grow.”
LSM Deportivo: Where is the soccer club?
The club is based in Ciudad de la Costa in south Uruguay, which is part of the borough of the country’s capital, Montevideo, where Suarez moved with his six brothers as a child.
Suarez played youth soccer in the area before joining top-flight side Nacional, and Deportivo offer a 20-acre complex with a synthetic turf stadium for 1,400 spectators among its pitches, according to ESPN.
“Little by little, everything we want is coming true,” said Suarez, who was a Uruguayan champion with Nacional in 2006 – the same year he left to begin his glittering career in Europe with Dutch club Groningen – and 2022. “Not only for us, but for the people of the coastal city.”
What division will LSM Deportivo play in?
The team will play in the Uruguayan Football Association’s Divisional D, which is the fourth tier and was founded in December 2021.
“We want to start competing in the [league], which is something we’re really excited about,” said Suarez, who added that the club will also have a team at youth level. “It’s a big step forward for my family and I in the project.”
The social media account of the division responded by saying: “Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi join Uruguayan football to compete in our division. We celebrate the arrival of LSM and wish them every success.”
Lionel Messi: What part will he play in LSM Deportivo?
The change of the club’s prefix from LS to LSM is thought to reflect the initials of Luis Suarez and Messi, with a green and white badge launched as the “shield of our identity and passion for football”.
It is unclear exactly how hands-on Messi and Suarez, who remain Miami’s best-known players and are among the most popular athletes in the world, will be in the project in the immediate future, but their profiles alone are likely to inspire huge growth and interest in the club.
Within 24 hours, the club’s Instagram account was approaching 400,000 followers. Messi has more than 505 million fans on the platform, while Suarez has almost 49m.
“It is an honor and a joy that you invited and chose me,” said Messi, smiling as the shot panned to him towards the end of the clip.
“I hope to contribute everything I can to continue growing [the project] and, above all, to be by your side in this.”
Messi and Suarez: ‘A lot in common’
Along with being icons of South American soccer, Messi and Suarez won La Liga and the Copa del Rey four times each during their time together at Barcelona, for whom Messi is the all-time top scorer.
Their other shared titles with the Spanish giants include the 2014/15 Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup twice.
“We have experienced many things in common since we were children,” suggested Suarez. “We’ve shared so many experiences in elite football, and that’s why I’d love to introduce a friend and team-mate who I have a lot in common with because of our beginnings.
“This project is the perfect place to continue sharing our vision of football, so I invited my friend to join the professional project.”
Former Inter and Uruguay player and Nacional manager lvaro Recoba will be the team’s head coach, according to sources cited by ESPN.
Lionel Messi contract, salary
Messi remains the most high-profile player in the world alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and has an optional extra year in his Miami contract.
Speaking to Marca after Messi’s arrival was first announced in July 2023, Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said the four-time Champions League winner would earn up to $60 million a year.
Messi’s purported playing salary of up to $20.4m is considerably more than any other player in the US and is heftily increased by holding equity in the club and payments from league broadcasters Apple.
Lionel Andres Messi ✨🐐 pic.twitter.com/WqYoIZNPEv
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) March 16, 2025
Lionel Messi stats
The club was formed by a group including former England captain David Beckham in 2018 and made Messi one of the most prestigious MLS signings of all time five years later, winning their first trophy with the help of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Suarez when they triumphed in the 2023 Leagues Cup.
In his first full campaign with the club, Messi averaged an MLS-record 2.18 goal contributions per 90 minutes in 2024 to help Miami win their first Supporters’ Shield.
The 37-year-old has 11 goals and three assists in 18 appearances in all competitions in 2025, with former Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano taking over as Herons boss before the start of the season.
