Soccer's governing body is investigating allegations that Uruguay's striker Luis Suárez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match on Tuesday that knocked the Italians out of the tournament.
"FIFA can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the player Luis Suárez of Uruguay," the organization said.
FIFA said it has charged the player with contravening its disciplinary code. Mr. Suárez, who has been punished twice for biting players in previous incidents, faces a ban of at least two matches if he is found guilty of assaulting an opponent, and up to 24 matches or 24 months. He could also face a fine.
Uruguay scored the only goal of the match just minutes after the encounter between Messrs. Suárez and Chiellini to advance to the round-of-16 to play Colombia, but the incident has completely overshadowed the result. The relevant parties have been given until 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday to lay out their cases and provide evidence. These can include reports from referees, declarations from witnesses, material evidence, and audio or video recordings, according to FIFA.
