Not even the rain — biblical, unrelenting — could hide the tears.

The game was done, but Luis Suarez was not. For the best part of 15 minutes, he circled the pitch, clapping and sobbing, his team-mates reverential in the background. After a while, his wife and children ran on to smother him in hugs. In the stands, 50,000 more loved ones screamed his name.

A video played up on the big screen. It was a compilation of the moments that led to and explained this one: the passes, celebrations and goals that have made Suarez a Gremio icon, just 11 months after he arrived at the club.

Now, after one final match — and one last winning goal for the road — at the Arena Gremio, he was saying goodbye. Three days later, it was revealed he was set to sign a one-year deal with Inter Miami, where he will link up with Lionel Messi.

On Saturday, though, it was all about Gremio.

“I will carry this moment with me,” said Suarez, the emotion writ large on his face. “This is more than I ever expected.”

That sentiment will be shared by everyone connected to the club. Gremio were only promoted back to the Brazilian top flight a year ago but they are on the verge of qualifying for the 2024 Copa Libertadores, thanks largely to Suarez. He has contributed 27 goals and 17 assists this year (all…

CONCACAF and CONMEBOL on Friday unveiled a wide-ranging partnership on Friday that will have significant ramifications for both men’s and women’s soccer in the western hemisphere, with the 2024 Copa America set to be hosted in the United States, the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup to include four teams from South America and a new tournament featuring two men’s clubs from each federation set to come online in 2024.

We’re still waiting on many of the official details of the various competitions to be announced, but here’s what we’re hearing on how the partnership was formed and what it will end up looking like: 

How did this partnership come together? 

Ever since the centennial edition of the Copa America was held in the U.S. in 2016, bringing the tournament back to the United States has been an interesting possibility for all parties. 

Though that tournament was jeopardized when the U.S. Justice Department found that more than a dozen individuals involved with the initial organization of the event took more than $110 million in kickbacks, it still ended up setting Copa America records for attendance, television viewership and revenue. 

It was also a massive commercial success for U.S. Soccer, which led the organization of the tournament. According to USSF tax filings, the…