Montevideo: Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi are teaming as co-founders of a new football club in Uruguay.

Suarez announced on Tuesday that he has launched a professional football team in his home country, with his Inter Miami teammate Messi joining the project. The club, previously known as Deportivo LS, will now be called LSM and is set to begin playing in Uruguay’s fourth division.

“Deportivo LS is a family dream that began in 2018. We have grown a lot with more than 3,000 members,” Suarez said in a video shared on social media. “I want to offer Uruguayan soccer, the place I love and where I grew up as a child, opportunities and tools for teenagers and children to grow.”

Messi, who appeared alongside Suarez in the announcement video, expressed his excitement about being part of the initiative.

“I’m proud and happy that you chose me, so I hope to contribute everything I can to continue growing and, above all, to be by your side in this,” he said.

While Messi’s specific role hasn’t been detailed, Uruguayan media reports suggest he will serve as a partner in the club. Former Uruguay and Inter Milan midfielder Álvaro Recoba is expected to take on the role of head coach.

The launch also marked the debut of the club’s official Instagram account, which quickly garnered over 40,000 followers within two hours.

Suarez and his family first laid the foundation for this venture in 2018 when they opened a 20-acre sports complex in Ciudad de la Costa, just outside Montevideo. The facility includes multiple playing fields and a synthetic turf stadium that seats up to 1,400 spectators.