Inter Miami duo Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez collaborate to launch new football club in Uruguay

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez recently took to social media to announce that they have founded a football club together. The club, Deportivo LSM, will kick-start its journey in the fourth tier of Uruguayan football.

Messi and Suarez have been close friends since their time together at Barcelona, and the duo reignited their friendship after reuniting at MLS side Inter Miami. With both players nearing their retirements, they have decided to team up off the pitch by venturing into club ownership.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez posted a lengthy video on Instagram to announce the beginning of the football club. Suarez was the first to talk about the project in his native Uruguay, saying (via GOAL):

"Today I want to offer Uruguayan football, which I love and grew up with since I was a kid, the opportunities and tools to help all teenagers and children grow. That's why, with the club, we want to begin competing in the AUF (Uruguayan Football Federation) world, which is something that excites us enormously and is a huge step forward for me and my family in a project we believe in."

Lionel Messi added:

"This dream doesn't end here, sharing it with our family, friends, and close friends. We've experienced many things in common since we were kids; we've shared so many experiences at the top of football, and that's why today I'd love to introduce a friend, a teammate. This project is the perfect place to continue sharing our vision of football and to have the same vision since our beginnings."

As per CBS Sports, Suarez founded the club as Deportivo LS in 2021 but renamed it to LSM Sports Club after adding Messi as his partner. The club's official account, Deportivo LSM, already has 144,000 followers on Instagram at the time of writing.

How Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have fared together so far

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez began their journey as teammates after the latter joined Barcelona from Liverpool in 2014. Their first season together at the Catalan club was a memorable one as they formed a formidable partnership upfront and won a continental treble. In the following season, they achieve a record that is still standing—the highest-scoring duo in the 21st century, as they combined for a century of goals.

Their time together at Barcelona came to an abrupt end in 2020, when Suarez left the club and joined Atletico Madrid. In 2021, La Blaugrana failed to renew Messi's contract and the Argentine legend departed as a free agent.

Messi and Suarez reunited at Inter Miami in January 2024, where they currently ply their trade. Across all clubs, Messi and Suarez have played together 297 times and combined for 114 goals.