Rapid Fire Q&A: Uruguay, Liverpool star forward Luis Suarez

Whenever I have a one-on-one interview with a star player, I like having some fun with what I call “the rapid-fire quiz,” in which I ask about the soccer superlatives the player has seen and experienced in his career. I did it at the end of my recent interview with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and I also did it with Uruguay and Liverpool forward Luis Suárez.

Here’s some good new stuff that wasn’t part of my new SI magazine story on Suárez:

SI: Your best goal on the soccer field?

Suárez: I’ve scored many goals that I’ve liked. I think the best memory I have of a goal is the one against [South] Korea for Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup. It was a World Cup, that’s why.

SI: Best teammate you’ve ever had?

Suárez: This is tough. I’ve had a lot of great teammates who have been good players. As a player, these days, I would say [Liverpool’s Steven] Gerrard for his impact on my career. Not only as a person [in my life] but also as player on the field, because of how he speaks of me, how he’s been there in difficult moments, and I appreciate that very much.

SI: Achievement on the soccer field you’re most proud of?

Suárez: The biggest achievement as a player was getting to the top four in a World Cup with my national team [in 2010]. Then [winning the 2011] Copa América. That my children can say their father won the Copa América is something that makes me very happy.

SI MAGAZINE COVER: Luis Suarez on our World Cup preview issue

SI: Toughest defender you have ever faced?

Suárez: There was a match I played against AC Milan: It was [Brazil’s] Thiago Silva. Currently, the toughest defender is [Belgium’s Vincent] Kompany from Manchester City.

SI: Toughest goalkeeper you’ve tried to score on?

Suárez: One doesn’t come to mind (laughs). Maybe not the toughest, but one who has made good saves against me is [Ben] Foster from West Bromwich. I have scored against West Bromwich, but not with him in goal.

SI: Best player you’ve ever played against?

Suárez: [Lionel] Messi, when playing against Argentina. It’s been a couple of times. But I think the best player I have seen—I saw him play in the Confederations Cup and it was confirmation for me that he is the best—is [Spain’s] Andrés Iniesta.

SI's World Cup Covers

One of 25 covers honoring the USWNT's 2015 World Cup triumph

SI's five Women's World Cup Preview covers

Argentina's Daniel Passarella, 1978

Argentina's Diego Maradona, 1986

USA's Ernie Stewart, 1994

Brazil's Marcio Santos, 1994

USA's Brandi Chastain, 1999

US Women's National Soccer Team, 1999

USA's Clint Mathis, 2002

USA Landon Donovan, 2002

USA's Mia Hamm, 2003

2006 USA team

2010 USA team

USA's Hope Solo, 2011

SI's four World Cup Preview covers

The three best soccer players in the world (Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suárez) and the captain of the U.S. national team (Clint Dempsey) on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in 2014.