September 06, (THEWILL) — The Leagues Cup Organising Committee issued sanctions on Friday, following violence that erupted after Seattle Sounders FC defeated Inter Miami 3-0 in the 2025 Leagues Cup Final. The post-match brawl involved multiple players and staff members throwing punches, with Luis Suárez observed spitting on a Sounders staff member during the chaos.
Suárez received the harshest punishment with a six-match suspension, whilst teammate Tomas Aviles faces a three-game ban after being photographed throwing punches. Midfielder Sergio Busquets, whose contract expires after the 2025 season, received a two-match suspension. Seattle Sounders assistant coach Steven Lenhart was handed a five-game ban, though no Seattle players faced suspensions.
The organising committee’s sanctions apply solely to the 2026 Leagues Cup and future tournaments, leaving the current MLS regular season unaffected. However, Major League Soccer retains the authority to impose additional punishments that could impact the remainder of 2025. All sanctioned individuals also received financial penalties alongside their suspensions.
Historical precedent suggests MLS may impose further disciplinary action. In 2024, Real Salt Lake’s Cristian Arango missed league matches after violating MLS anti-harassment policy, whilst 2019 saw RSL head coach Mike Petke receive additional MLS sanctions following his initial Leagues Cup punishment for berating officials.
Both Suárez and Inter Miami issued public apologies within 24 hours of the organizing committee’s decision. The clubs will meet again on September 16 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during Miami’s remaining nine regular-season fixtures, with heightened tensions expected following the Leagues Cup incident.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
