The 2025 Leagues Cup final between Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders ended in controversy as a major brawl broke out involving Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and other players and staff members.
The league has handed down its final disciplinary decisions, with sanctions applying only to Leagues Cup competition. For Inter Miami, Suarez was suspended for six matches, Tomas Aviles received a three-match suspension, and Busquets was banned for two games.
On the Seattle Sounders side, only assistant coach Steven Lenhart was suspended, receiving a five-match ban. The suspensions also come with financial penalties and will take effect in the next edition of the Leagues Cup.
Major League Soccer has not yet commented on the incident, but further action against those involved in the controversial ending is expected. The harshest sanction fell on Luis Suarez, who drew widespread criticism after spitting at the Sounders’ head of security, placing him at the center of the controversy.
Suarez issues apology following Leagues Cup brawl
A few days after the 2025 Leagues Cup final, Luis Suárez took to social media to address the controversy and apologize for his actions during the post-match brawl. The Uruguayan striker congratulated the Seattle Sounders on their victory and acknowledged his misconduct.
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“First of all, I want to congratulate Seattle Sounders for the victory in the Leagues Cup. But, above all, I want to apologize for my behavior at the end of the game,” Suarez wrote. “It was a moment of great tension and frustration, where as soon as the game ended, things happened that shouldn’t have happened. But that doesn’t justify the reaction I had. I was wrong and I sincerely regret it”.
“It is not the image I want to give neither in front of my family, who suffers from my mistakes, nor in front of my club, which also does not deserve to be affected by something like that. I feel bad about what happened, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to recognize it, and apologize to all those who felt bad for what I did. We know that there is still a long season ahead, and we will work together to achieve the successes that this club and all its fans deserve,” he concluded.
