THE LOVE THAT SHOOK WORLD FOOTBALL

"Please don't go", said a 16-year old sweeper, in the streets of Uruguay, with tears in his eyes, to his girl. The only person who was his motivation. His parents had separated when he was 9. His family was poverty stricken. At the tender age of 16 he had to do odd jobs to support his family.

All that was never a problem to him, because he had the entire universe in a girl named, Sofia. But now even she was leaving. Her whole family was moving to Barcelona.

"Please don't go", he began sobbing.

"I don't want to, but I've got no choice.", she replied, probably more hurt than him. Feeling guilty to leave the guy with whom she promised a forever.

He held his courage, as he had been doing since the age of 9, and promised her with fire and infinite love in his eyes, "I'll come to Barcelona, sweetheart. We'll meet again. We'll meet again."

That dream, though, was next to impossible. He could be sweeping streets all his life and still not be able to afford a single flight ticket. Destiny was never in his favour. But this time he had his lady luck praying for him.

The only way for him to escape the hell hole of poverty and unite with the only girl he ever loved, is to pick up the ball and play the beautiful game.

What poetic brilliance!

For him to experience the beauty of love he had to first love the beautiful game, and boy did he do that.

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That year he got drafted into Nacional's youth team. After amassing brilliant performances, and few controversial partying incidents, he got promoted to the first team in 2005.

"I'll come to Barcelona, sweetheart. We'll meet again", he thought in his head.

At the age of 18, he made his first team debut against Atlético Junior in the Copa Libertadores. That season Nacional won the Uruguayan League with the controversial lover scoring 10 goals in 27 matches.

Once he was playing against Defensor when a group of scouts from the Dutch club Groningen were watching the game. As they watched, he won and converted a penalty and scored a "wonder goal". Seeing that one game only, the scouts were sure they had identified a guy capable of ruling Europe.

Groningen paid Nacional €800k and the lover from the streets of Uruguay had reached Europe, near to Sofia, the lady luck who was praying for him everyday.

"I'll come to Barcelona, sweetheart. We'll meet again. We'll meet again."

In Groningen he struggled to learn dutch and english. Intially he played in the second team as well to adjust to the flair of dutch football. In the 2006-07 season he found the back of the net 15 times in 37 appearances as the club with the best talent system in the whole world, Ajax, knocked his door, as he realised Sofia was just a step far from him.

"I'll come to Barcelona, sweetheart. We'll meet again. We'll meet again."

Ajax paid Groningen €7.5 million for him, following a legal mess with Groningen and KNVB. He signed a 5 year contract with Ajax.

Controversies and scrutinises never left his side, as truck loads of goals were followed by numerous yellow cards and match suspensions upsetting then Ajax coach, Marco van Basten. But regardless of all that, there was no doubt that this guy was one of the best sparks in Europe at that time as he was named Ajax Player of the Year in only his next season with them.

He scored multiple hat-tricks in this third season, as he was named the Ajax Player of the Year for the second straight year and the Dutch Footballer of the Year for the first time.

Though that year the best thing of his life had happened. Sofia said, "yes" in response to his question, "Will you marry me?" He fulfilled his promise, they met again. They married, and now the only thing that was left was to focus on one thing, Barcelona.

"I'll come to Barcelona, sweetheart."

After scoring an absurd 111 goals in 159 appearances for Ajax and winning the Eredivisie 2010-11 and KNVB Cup 2009-10, a phone call came from the rural suburbs of Merseyside.

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Liverpool offered €26.5 million to Ajax and him, Sofia and their new born baby moved to the glamorous world of english football.

In Liverpool his career took a new turn. He became a beast in front of the goal, sharing the 2013-14 European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of Lionel Messi. He became part of several PFA Team of the Years, Player of the Month, Premier League Golden Boot, Goal of the season and what not. He won only one trophy with them, though, as Liverpool weren't really a great side during those days, that was the 2011-12 Football League Cup.

And then came the call of his life, as Luis Enrique rang his agent's cellphone.

In his own words, "Liverpool did all they could to get me to stay, but playing and living in Spain, where my wife's family live, is a lifelong dream and ambition. I believe now the timing is right."

He had fulfilled his promise to meet Sofia again, he had fulfilled his promise to reach Barcelona.He did it all.

In Barcelona he formed the deadliest trio in the entire history of football,alongside an Argentinian and a Brazilian.I wont go mentioning stats and trophies of his time in Barcelona.That will be a disgrace to a player of his quality.Such players are beyond mere numbers and shining trophies.No gold or diamond can exceed their shine.

Afterall, you dont give the accolade of the greatest striker of 21st century to someone just by looking at stats and graphs.The subteties of greatness lies under the curtains where statistics cant reach.

A career filled with ups and downa. Of poverty,of separation,of controversy,of money,of goals, of titles,of tapestries and above all , of love . Love for the most beautiful girl he ever saw.

"Love is the one thing that transcends dimensions of time and space." - Interstellar

It was this very nature of love that made a street sweeper from Uruguay became one of the most potent finishers of the game.Certainly the best striker of 21st century.

Luis Alberto Suarez Diaz, will be a myth for the ages.But for him all he ever wanted was to lead a simple life with Sofia . He came with controversies and is leaving under controversial circumstances .But what's a love story without a fair amount of craziness.

Rumi: "Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They are in each other all along".

Luis Suarez and Sofia Balbi, a love story that made a street sweeper changed the course of the sport.

As him and Sofia would now be packing bags to leave Barcelona , he would be asking her, " Honey , did i make you proud? Did i fulfill my promise?" And sofia would be replying ' You did , Luis , you did."