Enjoy that, Patrice? Evra likes photo of tearful Luis Suarez after Uruguay's World Cup exit

Luis Suarez cries after Uruguay's World Cup exit
Luis Suarez cries after Uruguay's World Cup exit (Image credit: Getty Images / Instagram)

It was an photograph that immediately travelled the globe, destined to be an iconic World Cup image.

Uruguay had been knocked out at the group stage despite a 2-0 victory over Ghana. One more goal would have seen them through to the knockout rounds, but in a moment of poor game management, coach Diego Alonso had taken off Uruguay's all-time leading goalscorer Luis Suarez.

Unable to affect the outcome, the former Liverpool and Barcelona striker sat on the bench and wept. Age 35, this is surely his last World Cup, and this is how it was doomed to end.

Not everyone was so upset. The Ghanaian side, themselves heading home, must have had a wry smile: a blatant Suarez handball had stopped them scoring in injury time of the 2010 World Cup quarter-final, and they had missed the resulting penalty. Uruguay progressed to the semis.

Otman Bakkal, Branislav Ivanovic and Giorgio Chiellini – all victims of Suarez, erm, biting them – may have enjoyed it too.

But it was another old opponent's reaction that really caught the eye. Patrice Evra dropped a like on an Instagram post of Suarez's moment of anguish.

Luis Suarez, 433 Instagram

(Image credit: 433 / Instagram)

The like, on 433's Instagram page (no relation), speaks to an incident between the two players back in 2011, when Suarez was handed an eight-game ban for racially abusing the French defender.

In a match between Liverpool and Manchester United in October 2011, Suarez repeatedly called Evra a "negro" over the course of a few minutes. The FA charged him with "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour" and handed him a £40,000 fine, and an eight-match ban. 

Suarez denied allegations of racism, and the next time the two teams met, he refused to shake Evra's hand before the game – for which he later apologised.

So we can't blame Patrice for enjoying that result.

Conor Pope
Online Editor

Conor Pope is the former Online Editor of FourFourTwo, overseeing all digital content. He plays football regularly, and has a large, discerning and ever-growing collection of football shirts from around the world.

He supports Blackburn Rovers and holds a season ticket with south London non-league side Dulwich Hamlet. His main football passions include Tugay, the San Siro and only using a winter ball when it snows.