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The 2025 Leagues Cup final between Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders will be remembered for more than just Seattle’s commanding 3-0 victory.
The spotlight instead fell on Luis Suárez, who once again grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons after an ugly post-match altercation.
Shortly after the final whistle, tensions boiled over between players from both sides. The 38-year-old striker, notorious for previous controversies, was at the centre of the melee.
Suárez first grabbed Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas by the neck, prompting a reaction from teammate Sergio Busquets, who appeared to strike the Mexican international on the chin.
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Moments later, Suárez clashed with a member of the Seattle coaching staff and had to be restrained by teammate Oscar Ustari before spitting in the direction of the Sounders coach.
Reactions from Both Camps
Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer expressed disappointment that Suárez’s behaviour overshadowed his team’s triumph:
Unfortunately, that is going to take some of the attention away from a great performance by the Seattle Sounders. 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.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano distanced himself from the incident:
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I have nothing to say because I was far away and didn’t see what happened. Nobody likes for there to be these types of actions. Maybe there was provocation, but I don’t know what happened.
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Did You Know?
The former Liverpool and Barcelona forward has a long history of misconduct, including three infamous biting incidents and multiple violent outbursts. His latest actions are expected to bring further disciplinary action from MLS.
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Past cases suggest a suspension is likely. In 2024, Héctor Herrera received a three-match ban for spitting at a referee, while Jasper Löffelsend of Real Salt Lake was handed a two-game suspension in 2023 for a similar offence.
As Seattle celebrate their Leagues Cup triumph, Suárez’s behaviour has once again ignited debate over his legacy, a career marked by brilliance on the pitch but marred by repeated lapses in discipline.