Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez was handed a six-match suspension for spitting at a Seattle Sounders official after becoming embroiled in a melee following his side’s 0-3 loss in the Leagues Cup 2025 final.
The suspension will only apply to next year’s edition of the tournament, although Major League Soccer (MLS) “reserves the right” to impose additional punishment. The former Uruguay international apologised for his actions on social media on Friday, saying that the incident occurred during a “moment of great tension and frustration.”
However, this is not the first time Suarez has been subjected to bans from matches. Take a look at some of the earlier incidents that have led to his suspensions:
Racism incident against Patrice Evra
In the 2011-12 season, then Liverpool player Suarez was handed an eight-match ban and a £40,000 fine by the Football Association (FA) after he was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra at Anfield in 2011.
File photo: In the return match at Old Trafford, Patrice Evra refused to shake Luis Suarez’s hand before kick off.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
File photo: In the return match at Old Trafford, Patrice Evra refused to shake Luis Suarez’s hand before kick off.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
Suarez denied the allegations and so did his club, with the Liverpool players wearing T-shirts in support of Suarez in the warm-up of its Premier League clash with Wigan.
Multiple biting episodes
Ajax vs PSV Eindhoven
Suarez’s first ban for biting an opposition player came during his time with Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam. Suarez was captaining the side during their Eredivisie match against PSV Eindhoven and bit Otman Bakkal on the shoulder in stoppage time during their 0-0 draw.
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After the match, he was handed a seven-match ban by the Dutch Football Federation while also being fined an undisclosed amount by Ajax.
Liverpool vs Chelsea
File photo: Liverpool’s Luis Suarez fights for the ball against Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic during their English Premier League match at Anfield Stadium.
| Photo Credit:
AP
File photo: Liverpool’s Luis Suarez fights for the ball against Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic during their English Premier League match at Anfield Stadium.
| Photo Credit:
AP
The season after the racism ban, Suarez was once again in the middle of a controversy after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic’s right arm during a 2-2 draw in the league. It was an eventful game for Suarez, who gave away a penalty before bagging the equaliser in stoppage time.
He was handed a 10-game ban by the FA and was also fined by Liverpool after pleading guilty to a violent conduct charge.
Uruguay vs Italy
This is perhaps one of the most notable moments of the 2014 FIFA World Cup that is still talked about. Uruguay was facing Italy in a crucial group stage fixture when Suarez bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder before going to the floor claiming a hit to the face. Suarez was let off without any card and Uruguay went onto win the game 1-0 and book its spot in the round of 16.
However, he was subsequently handed a nine-match international ban and was suspended from all football activities for four months while also getting a fine of approximately £83,000.
Published on Sep 06, 2025