The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is on! Each day ahead of the tournament’s return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world’s biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year’s global event.
Two years after retiring from international duty, Luis Suárez has left behind a complicated legacy. While the star Uruguayan forward might be considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, he is also known for his on-field antics.
Perhaps the most infamous is in the 2014 World Cup, when Suárez bit Italian Giorgio Chiellini in the 79th minute of the third and final group stage game. With the score at 0-0, Suárez clashed with the Italian defender in the box before sinking his teeth into Chiellini’s shoulder. Suárez then fell to the ground, clutching his face and later grabbing at his teeth.
While the foul was obvious on replay, the referee did not call it, despite Chiellini lowering his jersey to show the bite marks on his shoulder.
The bite seen around the world 🌎
Memorable Moment No. 22: Uruguay’s Luis Suárez biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder in the 2014 FIFA World Cup! 👀 (Sponsored by @qatarairways#QatarAirways) pic.twitter.com/RGDBTe9y2O
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 29, 2022
Moments later, Uruguay scored off a corner kick to eventually take the 1-0 win. That victory was enough to send Uruguay through to the knockout stage, while Italy finished third in the group and did not advance.
Once FIFA reviewed the incident, punishment was harsh, and unprecedented. Suárez received a nine-match international ban, ruling him out for the rest of the World Cup, and was banned from any “football-related activities” for four months, including the start of the club season. He was also fined £66,000 (around $90,000), though that was a small amount given that Suárez’s annual salary was in the millions.
Suárez missed Uruguay’s Round of 16 appearance, which the team lost to Colombia. The striker was with Liverpool at the time, but was in process of transferring to Barcelona; that transfer did go through, but Suárez had to miss the first month of La Liga play after his appeal failed.
Somehow, that 2014 incident was the third time in his career that Suárez has gotten in trouble for biting opponents. A year before chomping on Chiellini, while at Liverpool, Suárez bit the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanović and was eventually banned for 10 games; before that, he was suspended seven matches for biting someone while at Ajax.
Suárez will not be competing this summer, after retiring from international play in 2024. But if you’re worried he’s lost his edge as he finishes out his career with Inter Miami, don’t worry: He got in trouble last summer for spitting on an opposing staff member after sparking a brawl after the Leagues Cup Final.