Why was Luis Suarez suspended? Inter Miami star spits towards Seattle Sounders staffer during Leagues Cup final fight

Kyle Bonn

•
Why was Luis Suarez suspended? Inter Miami star spits towards Seattle Sounders staffer during Leagues Cup final fight image

The Seattle Sounders lifted the 2025 Leagues Cup in emphatic fashion, defeating Inter Miami 3-0 in a pulsating final in front of a record Lumen Field crowd.

However, scenes at the full-time whistle overshadowed the entertaining match, as the two sides engaged in fisticuffs at midfield.

Frustrated Inter Miami players were set off by the celebrations of the Sounders at the end of the match, and things kicked off from there. Multiple players and staff members from both sides were seen in the middle of the fracas, and there will likely be suspensions dished out in the aftermath.

The most notable incident caught on camera involved Luis Suarez, who may be in significant trouble in the coming days. The Sporting News breaks down the fight and who was most significantly involved.

COLUMN: Lionel Messi has lost control of his Inter Miami buddies, who have become MLS villains

Luis Suarez suspended for spitting on Seattle Sounders staffer

After the final whistle of the 2025 Leagues Cup final, a fight broke out at the center of the pitch. Inter Miami striker Luis Suarez was at the heart of it, and he will likely find himself in for his actions.

Suarez, now 38 years old, was seen yelling at a member of the Seattle Sounders staff. Towards the end of the confrontation, with Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari trying to separate Suarez, the Uruguayan was clearly seen spitting at the face of Sounders security staffer Gene Ramirez.

A week after the incident, the Leagues Cup announced that Luis Suarez would be suspended for six Leagues Cup matches, should he partake in the tournament in the future. The tournament only has jurisdiction to ban players for matches within its own competition.

Also disciplined were Tomas Aviles (3 games), Sergio Busquets (2 games), and Seattle Sounders coach Steven Lenhart (5 games).

Days later, Major League Soccer handed down a three-match suspension to Luis Suarez for the incident, which will take immediate effect in league play, seeing him sidelined for upcoming games against Charlotte FC, Seattle, and D.C. United. With Inter Miami in the middle of a battle for playoff qualification, his absence could prove decisive. MLS also announced that Lenhart would have his credential revoked for the remainder of the season, while Busquets and Aviles would not receive additional punishment.

What is currently unclear is how the two suspensions will affect one another. The wording of the Leagues Cup release seems to leave some leeway for the tournament to reduce his ban if other competitions take action.

"%3Cmeta%20charset%3D%22UTF-8%22%20%2F%3EThe Disciplinary Committee has issued a six-match suspension to Suarez," said the official Leagues Cup release. "He will, at least, be ineligible to participate in the next edition of Leagues Cup until the six-match suspension is fully served."

With the situation currently unclear, The Sporting News has reached out to the Leagues Cup for clarity, with no response yet received.

MORE: A full recap of the 2025 Leagues Cup final, won by the Seattle Sounders

Fight at end of Leagues Cup final mars 2025 title match

Leagues Cup final referee Juan Calderon Perez of Costa Rica surprisingly blew the full-time whistle at the end of regulation, deciding not to add any additional time despite a penalty, multiple VAR checks, and other stoppages.

As soon as the whistle blew, a brawl broke out at midfield between the two sides.

It appeared that defeated Inter Miami players were the aggressors during the brawl. It appears to kick off as Luis Suarez did not take kindly to the full-time celebrations of young Mexican international Obed Vargas, and loudly protests to Yeimar Gomez. Sergio Busquets appears to come in and give Vargas a light but discernible punch to the chin, which ignites Sounders youngster Cody Baker who gets in the face of Suarez.

From there, individuals on both sides could be seen in the melee. Inter Miami defender Maxi Falcon followed Suarez's lead and Baker in a choke hold, seeing Gomez gave chase to free his teammate. An Inter Miami substitute in a red bib threw punches at Jackson Ragen before being tackled away from the melee.

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano sidestepped questions about the brawl after the game, saying, "I have nothing to say. I don't know what happened. I won't make any comments because I don't know what happened."

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.