Luis Suárez suspended for six games, will miss Inter Miami’s entire 2026 Leagues Cup campaign

Luis Suárez will miss Inter Miami’s entire 2026 Leagues Cup campaign after receiving a six-game suspension for spitting at a Seattle Sounders staff member, as the club begin their Leagues Cup play tonight at Nu Stadium against Atlético de San Luis. The sanction followed incidents after last season’s Leagues Cup final in August, when Inter Miami lost 3-0.

The ban was imposed for Suárez’s conduct after the August final and, because it covers six matches, rules him out of the whole 2026 Leagues Cup. Inter Miami announced the suspension will prevent one of their leading attackers from participating in the tournament and the club must proceed without him for all scheduled Leagues Cup fixtures.

Inter Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos addressed the absence and the squad’s preparation, saying: "Luis is irreplaceable. They are players that mark the path." Hoyos’s comment underlines the club’s view of Suárez’s importance to the team amid the enforced absence.

Suárez, 39, has been in strong recent form for Miami, spearheading their attack in the absence of Lionel Messi and Germán Berterame and scoring seven goals in his last four games. The striker has 10 goals in MLS this season, figures the club will need to cover while he serves his suspension.

The suspension stems from a confrontation after the final whistle of last year’s Leagues Cup final, when a scuffle occurred between Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders. Suárez was restrained by teammates and coaches before spitting on a member of the Sounders’ staff; former Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets punched former Seattle player Obed Vargas, and then-Miami defender Tomás Avilés was disciplined for hostile behaviour.

As a direct consequence of the disciplinary ruling, Suárez will miss six Leagues Cup games and will be unavailable for all of Inter Miami’s matches in the competition. The club must therefore begin the tournament without one of their most productive forwards.

Inter Miami start their Leagues Cup campaign tonight at Nu Stadium against Atlético de San Luis, with Suárez absent for the competition because of the six-game ban.