After 500 professional appearances, half of them in our colours, Matías Suárez has decided to call time on his illustrious career at the age of 37. In 241 matches for Sporting, the Argentine artist scored 68 goals and delivered 59 assists - an average of one decisive contribution every two games. Beyond these impressive statistics, El Artista spent eight years above all showcasing his immense talent in purple and white. Matí will forever be a legend of RSC Anderlecht.
Matías Ezequiel Suárez was born on 9 May 1988 in La Falda, in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. He made his professional debut with CA Belgrano, the club from the city of Córdoba where he completed his development, before joining RSCA in 2008. His adaptation to Belgium, the language and the competition proved challenging, but despite fierce competition in the attacking line, the technically gifted forward quickly left no one indifferent.
Gradually, Matías Suárez grew into an indispensable part of the team. Thanks to his refined technique, exceptional touch and undeniable football intelligence, he scored regularly, while taking just as much pleasure in making his teammates shine. Wearing the number 9 shirt, he became the driving force of RSC Anderlecht’s attack, winning four league titles (2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014) as well as four Belgian Super Cups. The crowd at the Park sang his name with admiration - “You are the love of my life” - and the Argentine could not hide his joy.
On an individual level as well, Matí collected several major honours at RSCA - although personal accolades were never his motivation. Thanks to his consistency and decisive contributions, he won the Golden Boot in 2011 and was also named Professional Footballer of the Year following his outstanding 2011-2012 season. Although he acquired Belgian nationality in 2014, the elegant forward left Anderlecht two years later to successfully continue his career in his native country.
After returning to Belgrano, Matías Suárez made the move to South American giants River Plate. There too he won several trophies and delivered strong individual performances, earning him a call-up to Argentina’s squad for the 2019 Copa América in Brazil. Argentina were eliminated in the semi-finals by the host nation and eventually finished third. The final matches of his 500-game professional career were played with the club where it all began, CA Belgrano, and with Unión Española in Santiago, Chile.
Thank you for everything, Matí. Congratulations on your career and best of luck in everything the future holds.
