Suárez’s meltdown is the wake-up call Inter Miami and MLS needed. Will anyone act? | OneFootball

Inter Miami’s billion-dollar project—built on global stardom, pristine branding, and the magic of Lionel Messi—is teetering on the edge of a PR disaster. And the source isn’t a run of poor form. It’s Luis Suárez, whose latest meltdown may be the moment the club needs to wake up and walk away.

A brawl breaks out after the Seattle Sounders beat Inter Miami at Lumen Field this weekend. (Yuriy Tsupruk / Pitchside USA)

Following Inter Miami’s 3-0 collapse to the Seattle Sounders in the 2025 Leagues Cup final, Suárez triggered a post-match brawl that instantly eclipsed the match itself. Caught on camera putting Seattle midfielder Obed Vargas in a headlock and appearing to spit at Sounders’ head of security Gene Ramirez, Suárez turned Lumen Field into a global spectacle—for all the wrong reasons.

This wasn’t gamesmanship. This wasn’t passion. This was the latest entry in a disturbing pattern of behavior from a player with a well-documented rap sheet. From biting incidents to racial abuse charges to violent conduct, Suárez’s career has often walked the line between elite talent and self-inflicted disgrace. In Seattle, he didn’t walk it—he sprinted past it.

And the club’s silence has been deafening. Head coach Javier Mascherano deflected, citing “distance from the incident” and vague “provocation.” Ownership, led by David Beckham, has yet to issue a formal response. Meanwhile, the online discourse has turned toxic.

Some fans are calling for a short suspension. Others want him dropped permanently, arguing that he has become a liability to the team’s chemistry and its global brand.

David Beckham (Yuriy Tsupruk / Pitchside USA)

Let’s be clear: this is no longer about goals and assists. It’s about values. About what kind of club Inter Miami wants to be. About whether the Messi era will be remembered for brilliance—or blunders.

Yes, Suárez has pedigree. But at this stage of his career, he’s bringing more chaos than quality. He registered zero shots on target in the final. His only lasting impact? A brawl that made global headlines—not for football, but for disgrace.

Cutting him now won’t be cheap. But keeping him could cost far more—credibility, sponsorships, and the goodwill of a league striving to be more than just a celebrity circuit.

Inter Miami doesn’t need this version of Luis Suárez. Neither does MLS.