5 of Luis Suarez's most controversial moments

Uruguay forward Luis Suarez is once again making headlines for his antics rather than his play after appearing to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder during Tuesday's World Cup group stage match.

The 27-year-old is widely considered one of the best goal-scorers in the world — a position he solidified with 31 goals in 33 Premier League matches with Liverpool this season — but his bad behavior often overshadows his obvious talents. 

Here's a look at five incidents that helped Suarez earn the polarizing reputation he so thoroughly owns, starting with two other episodes in which he bit an opponent.

Bite No. 1: Otman Bakkal

Suarez first acquired a taste for human flesh in November 2010 while playing for Ajax in the Eredivisie. The shoulder of PSV midfielder Otman Bakkal somehow found its way into Suarez's mouth during an altercation, leading to a seven-match ban for Suarez.

It would be his final act in an Ajax jersey, as Liverpool paid the Dutch squad 26.5 million Euros to acquire the man who was now known as the "Cannibal of Ajax" in the Netherlands.

Bite No. 2: Branislav Ivanovic

Suarez's cannibal tendencies took center stage again in April of 2013, when he grabbed the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic and helped himself to a snack. The match referee did not see the incident and Suarez was allowed to remain on the pitch, eventually scoring the equalizer in stoppage time to force a 2-2 draw.

Suarez received a 10-match ban this time.

Racially abusing Patrice Evra

Suarez's mouth gets him into trouble even when he isn't using it to chomp down on opponents. He was fined 40,000 pounds and handed an eight-match ban for an incident involving Manchester United defender Patrice Evra in October 2011 where Suarez was alleged to have used racial slurs. 

Suarez denied the allegations and still does to this day, but an investigation of video footage revealed evidence he made various racist remarks toward Evra in Spanish and repeatedly used the word "negro."

Punching Gonzalo Jara

With all of these mouth-related incidents, it's easy to forget Suarez has a host of other body parts with which to cause controversy. He used his fists to let defender Gonzalo Jara know he didn't like how tightly he was being marked during a friendly between Uruguay and Chile in March 2013.

Suarez avoided any punishment for the incident, perhaps because his fist didn't leave a bite mark.

Impersonating a goalkeeper in the 2010 World Cup

Suarez also used his hands to become a national hero by impersonating a goalkeeper during Uruguay's 2010 World Cup quarter-final match against Ghana.

He made a game-saving stop on the goal line with his hands and was immediately sent off for a deliberate handball in the penalty area, but the damage was done as Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing penalty kick and Uruguay eventually advanced to the semifinal through a shootout.

It wasn't the only time Suarez put a hand on the ball to win a match. He appeared to use his arm to score the winner of an FA Cup match early in 2013.

"Sometimes on the pitch I say to myself: 'What have I done?'" he told Fox Sports Argentina after the FA Cup controversy. "But the name of Suarez sells papers."

With his latest biting incident, Suarez's name will surely sell more papers on Wednesday, as well as possibly earning him another lengthy suspension. But papers and suspensions don't win World Cups, and we all saw what Uruguay looks like without their best offensive option when they lost to Costa Rica.

Perhaps Suarez would be a better asset on the pitch if he focused on avoiding controversy rather than diving teeth-first into it.