Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez In Hot Water Again After Leagues Cup Incident

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – AUGUST 31: Luis Suárez #9 of Inter Miami CF argues after the Leagues Cup Final match between Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami CF at Lumen Field on August 31, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

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Luis Suarez certainly did not make many fans for what transpired after the Leagues Cup final on Sunday.

In fact, he probably turned off many fans and made many more enemies for his controversial and embarrassing incident after Inter Miami CF lost to the Seattle Sounders, 3-0.

The former Uruguayan international forward, who has a history of being a bad boy of soccer, continued that reputation on Sunday night, Aug. 31.

After the final whistle, game officials tried to stop a melee begun by Suarez before the medal ceremonies at Lumen Field in Seattle. According to videos on social media, it appears that the former Uruguayan international apparently had spit at a member of the Sounders’ staff, George Ramirez, and stepped on his foot as well.

What the coaches had to say

“Unfortunately, that is going to take some of the attention away from a great performance by the Seattle Sounders,” Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer said afterwards. “Their players were frustrated and that led to some things happening on the field that shouldn’t happen on the field.

“I’m going to shut that down, because that shouldn’t be the story. The story of the game is not what happened after the game. I had a quiet moment with Messi on the field [after the game] and we talked and we tried to push it aside.

“That’s the story.”

Inter Miami CF head coach Javier Mascherano’s thoughts on the incident?

“I do not have anything to say because truthfully I was far from the actions and I do not know what happened,” he said. “Obviously nobody likes those types of actions to happen after the game, but when there is a reaction sometimes there is also provocation.

“I won’t comment because I don’t know what happened.”

The Leagues Cup disciplinary committee is looking into what sort of justice it might mete out.

Suarez’s rap sheet

If the past is prologue, Suarez could be facing a sizable suspension because his rap sheet is a pretty lengthy one.

In fact, the Spanish website El Gol Digital ranked him as the fifth among the planet’s dirtiest soccer players in 2013 (the link: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/kevin-muscat-named-footballs-dirtiest-player-20131212-2z8r4.html

Some of the lowlights of Suarez’s career:

* He earned a reputation of diving way too much in the penalty area. Translated: Referees decided not to award legitimate fouls on Suarez in the box, which could have helped his team.

* Playing for Uruguay the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal, he blocked with his hand a Ghanaian shot in the penalty area that was headed into the net. Suarez was red carded, but Ghana missed the ensuing penalty kick. Uruguay went on to win to encounter in a shootout, reaching the semifinals.

* Four years later at the 2014 World Cup, Suarez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. FIFA suspended Suarez for four months. But that wasn’t the only biting incident as the Uruguayan bit Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and was slapped with a 10-match suspension. He also has been accused of stomping on opponents in the Premier League.

A born goal-scorer

Given his ability to score goals, Suarez has been able to find plenty of teams that could use his services. He has played for eight teams in the past two decades – Nacional (twice), Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Gremio and Inter Miami. In 718 career appearances, he has recorded 419 goals and 186 assists. Suarez has tallied six goals and 10 assists in 22 matches this season, after netting 20 goals and adding nine assists in 2024.

He signed with Inter Miami for the 2024 Major League Soccer campaign. Now, one must wonder if that will be the end of the line for the Uruguayan native.

Whether it will be just in the Leagues Cup, a competition that is played during the summer, Major League Soccer, or in all of soccer, it remains to be seen.

Since the incident occurred during the competition, the tournament’s disciplinary panel would have the ultimate say of Suarez’s fate. Perhaps Major League Soccer might chime in, but it likely would not want to see one of its biggest names benched for a while.

The Herrera incident

In November 2024, MLS slapped Mexican and former Houston Dynamo midfielder Hector Herrera with a three-match ban after a red card and an undisclosed fine for spitting near a referee. Herrera left the league and return to Mexico to play with Toluca.

The closest case was Héctor Herrera in November 2024. Back then, the Mexican was sanctioned in the MLS after spitting near a referee while playing for the Houston Dynamo: an immediate red card, a three-match suspension, and a financial fine that was never disclosed. The consequences went even further, as he eventually left the club and returned to Mexican football with Toluca.

Because of his reputation of being a top-flight goal-scorer, Suarez seems to have gotten second, third and fourth chances in his career.

You have to wonder, given the weight of his other headaches and indiscretions, that the most recent incident will be the straw that will break the proverbial camel’s back.

Hopefully, we’ll find out much sooner than later and the proper justice will be meted out.