Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez announce new football club venture

Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez have formed a partnership to launch a football club, Deportivo LSM, which will compete in the fourth division of Uruguayan professional football.

Initially founded by Luis Suárez alone in Ciudad de la Costa in 2018 and named Deportivo LS, the club was created to promote local talent, contribute to the community, and generate job opportunities in the region.

With Messi coming on board as a partner, the club is being relaunched and rebranded as Deportivo LSM — the “M” added to honour the Argentine footballer.

Suárez and Messi, long-time friends and currently teammates at Inter Miami CF, will oversee all club operations, though they will appoint a sporting director well-versed in the Uruguayan football scene.

On the project, Suárez said: 

“Deportivo LS, a family project, is a family dream that started in 2018. We have grown a lot with more than three thousand members and infrastructure.

“That’s why I made the decision for Deportivo LS to be part of the AUF [Uruguayan FA] structure, both at youth and professional level.

“This project is the perfect place to continue sharing our vision of football. So I invited my friend [Messi] to join Deportivo LSM’s professional project.“

Messi added: 

“I would like to thank Luis for giving me this opportunity and share this project that he has been working on for many years and which has grown so much.

“I hope to contribute as much as I can to continue growing and to be here alongside you.“