Luis Suarez spits on rival staff member, gets into brawl in Leagues Cup final - Watch

The Leagues Cup final between Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami ended in ugly scenes on Sunday, with Luis Suárez appearing to spit at an opposition staff member during post-match confrontations. Moments after Seattle’s 3-0 victory at Lumen Field, the Uruguayan striker confronted 20-year-old midfielder Obed Vargas and locked him in a headlock, sparking a scuffle that quickly escalated to involve players and staff from both teams. Match officials moved in to break up the fracas, but broadcast cameras appeared to capture Suárez spitting in the direction of a Seattle staff member as tensions boiled over. Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano admitted he could not comment directly, saying he was too far away to witness events in detail. “Nobody likes these kinds of actions at the end of a match, but if there’s a reaction, maybe there was provocation,” he told reporters. The trophy ceremony was delayed as tempers simmered, though both sides eventually came together on the pitch. Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer, however, chose to steer the focus back to his side’s performance. “Unfortunately that is going to take some of the attention away from a great performance by the Seattle Sounders,” he said, as quoted by AFP. He added: “I guess we can take that as a compliment that Miami’s frustrations 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.” Schmetzer also revealed he shared a quiet exchange with Lionel Messi after the match, saying it was a respectful moment amid the chaos. Despite that, Suárez, 38, is likely to face further scrutiny, with the incident adding to an already controversial career marked by several high-profile disciplinary cases. There is yet to be any official statement on the incident from either side or if any penalty will fall upon the Uruguayan.