‘El Pistolero’ is back. Following his outstanding form for Gremio, Luis Suarez has been named in Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay squad for the first time for the FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia.

La Celeste are second in the South American standings, five points adrift of Argentina and above Brazil and Venezuela on goals scored. The top six will reach the 23rd global finals automatically, while the seventh-placed finishers will go into the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.

Suarez has scored 68 goals in 137 internationals – Pele (77), Neymar (79) and Lionel Messi (106) are the only South Americans with more – but he was overlooked when Bielsa named his first two Celeste squads. During his absence he lost his status as the all-time leading marksmen in CONMEBOL qualifying for the World Cup to his former Barcelona team-mate Messi.

Suarez’s last game for his country came against Ghana at Qatar 2022. He set up one of Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s goals in a 2-0 victory, but Uruguay were cruelly eliminated on goals scored courtesy of Hwang Heechan’s last-gasp effort for Korea Republic against Portugal.

Six goals in his last five appearances for Gremio have earned Suarez a recall. Uruguay will face arch-enemies Argentina at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires on Thursday, before welcoming Bolivia to the Centenario in Montevideo five days later.