Former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has issued a written apology after appearing to spit at a Seattle Sounders staff member during the Leagues Cup final. Inter Miami suffered a 3-0 defeat in the tournament finale, which pits the top teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga MX against each other for silverware, despite boasting a star-studded lineup featuring Suarez and Lionel Messi.

North American football authorities are believed to have launched an investigation into Suarez's conduct. The Uruguay international was pulled away from Gene Ramirez, the Sounders' security chief, after allegedly spitting in his direction. "First of all, I want to congratulate the Seattle Sounders for their Leagues Cup victory," Suarez posted on Instagram.

"But more importantly, I want to apologize for my behavior at the end of the game. It was a moment full of tension and frustration, when things took place at the end of the game that shouldn't have occurred, but that doesn't justify my reaction. I made a mistake and I'm sincerely sorry.

"That's not the image that I want to portray in front of my family, who suffer for my errors, and (Inter Miami) doesn't deserve to be affected by this either. I feel bad for what happened and I did not want to miss this opportunity to recognize it and ask everyone for forgiveness who felt poorly about what I did.

"We know there is still a lot of season to play for and we're going to work together in order to accomplish the goals that this club and its fans deserve."

Inter Miami released their own statement regarding the incident.

"Inter Miami condemns the altercations that took place following the conclusion of the Leagues Cup Final," the club wrote. "These actions do not reflect the values of our sport, and we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of sportsmanship both on and off the pitch.

"We are working closely with Leagues Cup and MLS officials to ensure the situation is addressed appropriately. We thank our fans and community for their continued support."

The Leagues Cup final itself concluded with a convincing Sounders victory.

Osaze De Rosario broke the deadlock in the opening period, before Alex Roldan extended their advantage from twelve yards with six minutes remaining and Paul Rothrock sealed the triumph with a late third.

"Unfortunately, that is going to take some of the attention away from a great performance by the Seattle Sounders," head coach Brian Schmetzer said of the Suarez incident immediately after the win.

"Their players were frustrated and that 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. The story of the game is not what happened after the game. I had a quiet moment with Messi on the field [after the game] and we talked and we tried to push it aside. That's the story."