The Leagues Cup Organizing Committee have handed down significant suspensions following an altercation between and the 
Seattle Sounders after the final on Sunday, with Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets each among the parties suspended.
Seattle beat Miami 3-0 to lift the Leagues Cup trophy and, after the final whistle, there was a coming together between the sides in which punches were thrown, Suarez spit on Sounders security director Gene Ramirez and Busquets put his hand on Obed Vargas’ face to help ignite the fracas.
The suspensions in full, which only apply to competing in the Leagues Cup:
- Luis Suarez (Miami): Six games
- Steven Lenhart (Seattle coach): Five games
- Tomas Aviles (Miami): Three games
- Sergio Busquets (Miami): Two games
The suspensions won’t be served until Leagues Cup returns next season. All members suspended will be fined as well.
Major League Soccer may add additional suspensions for league play, but nothing has been announced yet. That detail is crucial as Suarez and Busquets may not experience these repercussions, as both are still determining their future and if they’ll continue playing beyond 2025.
There is precedent for MLS to add additional suspensions in league play for incidents that occurred in the Leagues Cup.
In 2019, Real Salt Lake head coach Mike Petke was given a three-game Leagues Cup suspension for actions directed towards officials following a loss to Tigres. MLS then handed Petke an additional three-game league suspension and a fine.
RSL eventually opted to terminate Petke’s contract before the suspension ended. He has not coached since.
