Luis Suarez: jokes, bites and memes as internet goes wild

Social media exploded into life on Tuesday night when, in the dying minutes of the tense World Cup decider between Italy and Uruguay, controversial Uruguayan footballer Luis Suarez appeared to do something entirely mad, bad, but perhaps not wholly out of character.

The star striker was seen to sink his teeth into Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini when the two came together in the box, sparking a wave of tweets and reviving a set of familiar memes. Twitter data reported that in-game mentions of @Luis16Suarez prior to the incident numbered around 100,000. Immediately after the alleged bite, that figure jumped to two million.

Below is a selection of some of the best Suarez jokes, tweets and memes that emerged in the aftermath. Not all of them are new, as Suarez has previous with biting people, as can be seen in the Vine video below...

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The rule of three

Suarez makes his mark on the opposition.

Straight from the horse's mouth

The question "What kind of horse would Suarez be, if Suarez was a horse" has kept philosophers awake for generations. Now, at last, we have the answer.

It's only a game

Suarez has been known to cash in on his bad-boy image, as he did with this advert released in the build-up to the World Cup. Is this proposed board game taking things too far?

An old friend for dinner

Suarez gets the Hannibal Lecter treatment

Just when you thought it was safe

You're gonna need a bigger boat. Also, you really must check out this video.

Italian food

Chuck, brisket or sirloin, sir?

Make it Count

Three nil, Suarez

Bloooood

Does he recuperate after each match in a hyperbaric coffin?

#gotgotneed

How to complete your collection

Suarez appeal

Can you really walk past this poster without leaving a donation?

You will never walk alone

Fortunately for Suarez, Liverpool fans are standing by their man.

Hunger Games

An animated insight into the mind of Mr Luis Alberto Suarez Diaz.

Suarez bit my finger

If you enjoyed the cinematic classic Charlie Bit My Finger, you will love this six-second film too.

Be Chewy Luis

Bite players! Avoid red cards! Actually, get back to work, procrastinator.

Last word

Classy Evander Holyfield, the former boxer who feels Chiellini's pain, weighs in with a brilliantly understated one-liner.