Inter Miami forward Luis Su谩rez, third from left, is separated from Seattle Sounders players and staff as Sounders midfielder Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, center right facing, holds a staff member back during a fight after the Sounders won the Leagues Cup final soccer match Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Inter Miami forward Luis Su谩rez, back center facing, is separated from Seattle Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas, second from right, by defender Yeimar G贸mez and defender Cody Baker (33) after the Leagues Cup final soccer match Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Inter Miami forward Luis Su谩rez, left, can’t tip the ball past Seattle Sounders midfielder Reed Baker-Whiting, right, near the goal during the first half of a Leagues Cup final soccer match Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Inter Miami’s Luis Su谩rez suspended for 6 Leagues Cup matches after spitting incident
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) 鈥 Inter Miami forward Luis Su谩rez has been suspended yet again for on-field antics, this time getting a six-match ban from future Leagues Cup matches in response to his conduct 鈥 including spitting at someone 鈥 after his team lost Sunday’s final to the Seattle Sounders.
Inter Miami forward Luis Su谩rez, third from left, is separated from Seattle Sounders players and staff as Sounders midfielder Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, center right facing, holds a staff member back during a fight after the Sounders won the Leagues Cup final soccer match Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) 鈥 Inter Miami forward Luis Su谩rez has been suspended yet again for on-field antics, this time getting a six-match ban from future Leagues Cup matches in response to his conduct 鈥 including spitting at someone 鈥 after his team lost Sunday’s final to the Seattle Sounders.
Su谩rez will not be able to play in the tournament next season, and the ban could stretch into future seasons. Inter Miami played six Leagues Cup matches this year 鈥 three in the group phase, then three in the knockout stage 鈥 on its way to the final.
The ban would not apply to Major League Soccer matches, though it is possible that Su谩rez could still face sanctioning from that league. The Leagues Cup is a separate competition.
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Also suspended for future Leagues Cup matches for their roles in the postgame melee following Seattle’s 3-0 win were Sounders coaching staff member Steven Lenhart, who drew a five-match ban; Inter Miami’s Tom谩s Avil茅s, who got a three-match ban; and Sergio Busquets, banned for two matches.
All four will also be fined.
Su谩rez had an infamous intentional handball in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals to take a semifinal spot from Ghana and has served suspensions on three occasions for biting opponents 鈥 the most recent of those in 2014, after he chomped down on the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini following a tussle in the penalty area during a World Cup match.
Su谩rez 鈥 a longtime teammate of Inter Miami star Lionel Messi 鈥 and grabbed at least one Seattle player by the neck during a postgame melee. MLS officials are also looking into the matter, and Su谩rez apologized on Thursday.
鈥淭hings happened right after the match that shouldn鈥檛 have happened, but that doesn鈥檛 justify my reaction. I was wrong and I sincerely regret it,鈥 he wrote. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the image I want to portray, neither to my family, who are suffering because of my mistakes, nor to my club, which doesn鈥檛 deserve to be affected by something like this.鈥
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