Inter Miami striker, Luis Suárez, has been hit with a six-game suspension after an ugly post-match clash in the Leagues Cup final against Seattle Sounders.
The incident unfolded moments after Miami’s 3-0 defeat on August 31, when tensions boiled over at the final whistle.
Suárez, 38, first sparked confrontation by grabbing Sounders midfielder, Obed Vargas by the neck, leading to further altercations in which Sergio Busquets struck the young Mexican on the chin.
As tempers flared, Suárez confronted Seattle’s director of security, Gene Ramirez.
Despite being restrained by goalkeeper Óscar Ustari, the veteran forward spat in Ramirez’s face, an act that drew immediate condemnation.
The Leagues Cup disciplinary committee confirmed the six-match ban would apply to the 2025 tournament, though Major League Soccer could still impose additional sanctions.
Inter Miami teammates Busquets and Tomás Avilés received two and three-match bans respectively, while Seattle staff member Steven Lenhart was suspended for five matches.
Suárez later took to Instagram to apologise for his behaviour, admitting he had crossed the line.
The former Liverpool and Barcelona star is no stranger to disciplinary controversy.
He previously served an eight-match suspension in England for racially abusing Patrice Evra in 2011 and was banned on three separate occasions for biting opponents while at Ajax, Liverpool, and with Uruguay.
The Leagues Cup, an annual competition contested by clubs from MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX, has once again made headlines, this time for all the wrong reasons.