Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, a former teammate of Lionel Messi at Barcelona, won the golden ball Thursday as the player of the season in the Brazilian league. The 37-year-old Suárez, who played with Messi in Spain after several seasons at Liverpool and Ajax, scored 17 goals for Brazilian league runner-up Gremio. Suárez scored two goals on the final day of the season in a 3-2 victory over Fluminense at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Uruguay striker Luis Suárez won the Golden Ball on Thursday as the player of the season in the Brazilian league ahead of his expected departure from the club.