Suárez, sanctioned for 6 matches for spitting; Busquets and Avilés also punished

Luis Suárez Receives Severe Sanction After Incident in the Leagues Cup

Inter Miami forward Luis Suárez has been suspended for six matches by the Leagues Cup Organizing Committee. The sanction is due to an incident in which the player spat at a member of the Seattle Sounders staff after the Leagues Cup final. The match, which saw the Sounders beat Miami 3-0, was marred by a fight after the final whistle. Suárez had to be restrained by his teammates and coaches before spitting at the opposing team’s staff member. In the midst of the altercation, Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets punched Seattle’s Obed Vargas, while Miami defender Tomás Avilés was also involved in aggressive behavior.

• Suárez apologizes for spitting at the Sounders staff member.
• Miami’s Suárez appears to spit at the Sounders staff member.
• Seattle defeats Miami, Messi, to win the Leagues Cup.

In addition to the sanction against Suárez, Busquets has been suspended for two matches and Avilés for three matches for participating in violent conduct. The committee also imposed additional sanctions on Seattle Sounders technical staff member Steven Lenhart, who will serve a five-match suspension for going against Article 4.2.C of the Leagues Cup 2025 Competition Regulations. According to the Leagues Cup Regulations, the four sanctioned individuals will also receive fines as a result of their conduct. All suspensions must be served in the next edition or editions of the Leagues Cup until fully completed.

Luis Suárez has been suspended for six matches for spitting at a member of the Seattle Sounders staff after the Leagues Cup final.The statement noted that Major League Soccer (MLS) reserves the right to impose further disciplinary actions on the players and coaching staff involved. The MLS has not made an official announcement about additional suspensions. Suspensions will not be applied until the 2026 edition, as the Leagues Cup is an annual tournament held each summer between MLS and Liga MX clubs. Suárez and Busquets’ contracts with Miami are scheduled to expire at the end of the season. Suárez apologized for his behavior after the final, publishing a statement on his social media.

It was a moment of great tension and frustration, where right after the match ended, things happened that shouldn’t have happened, but that doesn’t justify my reaction. I made a mistake and sincerely apologize. It’s not the image I want to give in front of my family, who suffers because of my mistakes, in front of my club, which also doesn’t deserve to be affected by something like that.

Luis Suárez

Inter Miami also issued a statement, saying that the club “condemns the altercations that took place after the conclusion of the Leagues Cup Final”.