Inter Miami forward Luis Suárez has been suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount for kicking out at Nashville SC defender Andy Najar during Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday. The MLS Disciplinary Committee handed out the punishment on Wednesday, three days before the decisive Game 3 of the series.
According to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert, Inter Miami appealed, but the suspension was ultimately upheld.
The incident occurred in the 71st minute of Game 2, a 2-1 Nashville victory. As Suárez was making a run inside the Nashville box, he became tangled with Najar and kicked out his right leg at the Nashville defender.
Can confirm @tombogert‘s report. Luis Suárez will miss Game 3 of Inter Miami’s playoff series against Nashville SC for this off-the-ball kick on Andy Nájar. No foul was called in the game, MLS DisCo has deemed it rises to the level of violent conduct.pic.twitter.com/epaNBaMjtz
— Ben Wright (@benwright) November 5, 2025
There was no foul called, nor was a card issued following the incident. That’s where the MLS Disciplinary Committee can step in and issue punishment should an offense not be seen by officials or in an instance where a foul should warrant a card, but one is not issued.
This is the second time this season Suárez has been suspended. In September, he was banned three games by MLS — on top of a six-game Leagues Cup suspension — for instigating a fight following a match against the Seattle Sounders. Suárez pulled Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas into a headlock and later got into a confrontation with Sounders security staff member Gene Ramirez and spat on him.
Suárez, whose contract expires following the 2025 season, has 14 goals and 15 assists with Inter Miami this season.
After finishing with the second-most points in all of MLS this season, Inter Miami face the prospect of a second straight first-round exit if they fail to beat Nashville on Saturday. The club sports an MLS-high $48.97 million payroll and entered this season with hopes of winning four trophies. Failure to claim the first MLS Cup in club history would mean Lionel Messi and Co. would end the season empty-handed.
