FIFA World Cup 2018: Sons of Salto Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez drive Uruguay’s campaign

Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are lethal strikers for FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, but together they are a whole different beast, as Portugal found out in their FIFA World Cup 2018 Round of 16 match in Sochi on Saturday.

The two share similar traits as players: they are fiercely competitive, possess a work-rate as monstrous as their goal-scoring records and are capable of producing moments of beauty with the ball.

In their hometown of Salto, they are looked up to by locals who want to emulate them and become the next big thing in Uruguayan football.

On the windows of the clubhouse of the 103-year-old Nacional de Salto football club, two huge photos show the local stars as children.

As Uruguay’s campaign for a third title soldiers on thanks in no small part to the sons of Salto, here’s a quick look at the other similarities shared by the two:

Suarez and Cavani were born there three weeks apart in Salto, the second largest city in Uruguay.

Together, they have scored 98 goals in 207 appearances for Uruguay.

Cavani has scored 45 goals for Uruguay, 12 of which have been assisted by Suarez.

Since 1966, only Grzegorz Lato & Andrzej Szarmach (5 for Poland) and Michael Ballack & Miroslav Klose (5 for Germany) have combined for more World Cup goals than Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani & Luis Suarez (4).

Russia 2018 has been a tournament where strikers have come to the party; Harry Kane has scored 5 goals and Romelu Lukaku has 4, yet Uruguay are the only side to play with two out-and-out strikers.

Their willingness to put in the work off the ball makes it easy for coach Oscar Tabarez to play them together, and the formidable duo will pose a threat to any opposition.