The Luis Suárez bite happened on June 24, 2014, during Uruguay’s final group match against Italy at the World Cup in Brazil, when Suárez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder. The referee did not see the incident, and Uruguay went on to win 1-0 and qualify for the knockout stage. FIFA later banned Suárez for nine international matches and four months from all football-related activity and fined him. It was the third time in his career that he had been punished for biting an opponent, and the incident became one of the most infamous moments in World Cup history.
Rulebook note: Biting is treated as violent conduct under the Laws of the Game. Disciplinary sanctions at FIFA tournaments are set by FIFA’s disciplinary code, which is updated from time to time. The penalties described here reflect the decisions made in 2014.
Key facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | June 24, 2014 |
| Match | Uruguay vs Italy, group stage, 2014 World Cup |
| Venue | Estádio das Dunas, Natal, Brazil |
| Victim | Giorgio Chiellini |
| Result | Uruguay 1-0 Italy (Diego Godín) |
| Punishment | Nine international matches, four months from all football activity, fine |
| Previous biting bans | 2010 with Ajax, 2013 with Liverpool |
The match
Uruguay and Italy met in Natal needing a result to reach the round of 16. Italy only needed a draw, while Uruguay needed a win. The match was tense and physical. Italy’s Claudio Marchisio was sent off in the second half, leaving his team with ten men. Shortly afterward, as Suárez and Chiellini jostled in the penalty area, Suárez leaned into Chiellini and bit him on the shoulder. Chiellini reacted immediately, pulling down his shirt to show marks to the referee, while Suárez fell to the ground holding his face.
The Mexican referee, Marco Antonio Rodríguez, did not see the bite and took no action. Moments later, Uruguay captain Diego Godín scored with a header from a corner, and Uruguay won 1-0. Italy was eliminated from the tournament, and coach Cesare Prandelli resigned after the match.
FIFA’s investigation and ban
Television replays clearly showed the incident, and FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings the next day. Because the referee had not seen it, FIFA was able to act on video evidence. On June 26, 2014, FIFA’s disciplinary committee banned Suárez for nine official international matches and suspended him from all football-related activity for four months. He was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs. It was one of the heaviest bans ever handed out at a World Cup, and Suárez was sent home from the tournament. Without him, Uruguay lost 2-0 to Colombia in the round of 16.
Suárez’s history of biting
The 2014 incident was not the first time Suárez had bitten an opponent. In 2010, while playing for Ajax in the Netherlands, he bit PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal on the shoulder and received a seven-match ban from the Dutch football association. In 2013, while playing for Liverpool, he bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanović on the arm and was banned for ten matches by the English Football Association. The repeated incidents led many observers to argue that the 2014 punishment needed to be severe.
Apology and appeal
Suárez initially denied biting Chiellini, but several days after the ban he issued a public apology to Chiellini and the football world and promised it would never happen again. Chiellini accepted the apology and later said he felt the ban was too harsh. Uruguay’s football association appealed, and Suárez took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In August 2014, the court upheld the ban but clarified that it applied only to official matches, allowing Suárez to train with his club and take part in some activities during the suspension.
Transfer to Barcelona
Despite the ban, Barcelona signed Suárez from Liverpool in July 2014 for a fee widely reported to be one of the largest in football at the time. He was unable to play competitive matches until late October 2014, when his suspension from club football ended. He then formed a famous attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Neymar, and Barcelona won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in his first season. Suárez went on to become one of the most prolific strikers of his generation, later playing for Atlético Madrid, where he won another league title, and clubs in South America and the United States.
Impact on Uruguay
The international ban meant Suárez missed the rest of the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 Copa América. Uruguay struggled without its star striker in the knockout round in Brazil. He returned to international football after serving the suspension and remained a key player for Uruguay, eventually becoming the country’s all-time leading scorer.
Suárez’s earlier World Cup controversy
The bite was not Suárez’s first headline-making moment at a World Cup. In the 2010 quarterfinal against Ghana in Johannesburg, with the score tied in the final moments of extra time, Suárez deliberately blocked a goal-bound header with his hands on the goal line. He was sent off and Ghana was awarded a penalty, but Asamoah Gyan struck the crossbar. Uruguay then won the shootout and reached the semifinals. The handball made Suárez a hero in Uruguay and a villain in Ghana and much of Africa, and it was still widely discussed when the two countries met again at the 2022 World Cup. The 2014 bite added to an already divisive reputation on the world stage.
How it compares with other World Cup incidents
The Suárez bite is often listed alongside other famous disciplinary moments at World Cups, such as Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 final and David Beckham’s red card against Argentina in 1998. What set the Suárez case apart was that the referee missed it during the match, so the punishment came entirely after the fact through video evidence. That made it an early high-profile example of how television replays could shape disciplinary decisions, several years before video assistant referees were introduced at the 2018 World Cup.
How the incident is remembered
The bite is remembered as one of the strangest and most controversial moments in World Cup history. It sparked debate about player discipline, the role of video evidence in disciplinary cases and how governing bodies should handle repeat offenders. It also illustrated the complex legacy of Suárez, a player admired for his skill and determination but also criticized for several disciplinary incidents during his career.
How to research the Suárez bite
- Watch the match footage and replays from Uruguay vs Italy.
- Read FIFA’s disciplinary announcement from June 2014.
- Look up the CAS ruling from August 2014.
- Compare with earlier incidents at Ajax and Liverpool.
- Use reputable news archives for contemporary coverage.
Common misconceptions
- That Suárez was sent off. The referee did not see the bite, and he stayed on the pitch.
- That Italy won the match. Uruguay won 1-0 and Italy was eliminated.
- That it was his first bite. It was his third biting ban.
- That the ban stopped his transfer. Barcelona signed him that summer.
Frequently asked questions
Who did Luis Suárez bite at the 2014 World Cup?
Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.
How long was Luis Suárez banned for the bite?
Nine international matches and four months from all football activity, plus a fine.
How many times has Suárez bitten opponents?
Three times in official matches: in 2010, 2013 and 2014.
