Luis Suarez says he and Barcelona teammate Neymar have ‘bet a hamburger’ on the outcome of Brazil’s game against Uruguay.
The countries meet in South America’s World Cup 2018 qualification programme in what is Suarez’s return to competitive international football after his 2014 biting ban, and he discussed what it will be like coming up against a friend and club colleague.
“We’ve bet a hamburger. Whoever loses, pays,” Mundo Deportivo quotes Suarez as joking, referencing an exchange earlier in the season when Neymar signed Suarez’s hat-trick ball ‘fatty, you owe me a hamburger’ after providing assists against Eibar.
“Neymar is a great teammate, we’re always joking, but whoever wins and whoever loses will receive the encouragement of the other, because we’re peers over everything else.
“We’ll each do our best for our teams and give the maximum for our countries.”
It was put to Suarez that since Neymar knows his game so well, he could provide Brazil Coach Dunga with information on how to stop him.
“I know Ney’s game too but it’s different on the pitch. Every opponent knows how every player plays but on the pitch it’s resolved according to the moment,” Suarez continued.
Suarez also dismissed the suggestion that his first competitive international in almost two years carries added pressure or expectation.
“What happened to me allows me to learn and to get all the pressure off me,” he added.
“Uruguay is a very united group that doesn’t depend on anyone.”
