FIFA has rejected an appeal by Luis Suarez and the Uruguay Football Federation (AUF) against his four-month ban from all football activities for biting an opponent.
Sanctions were put in place because he bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup.
Suarez can now make a further appeal to the Corut of Arbitration for Sport and can also ask the court to suspend the ban pending a final decision.
He denied the charge at first, but after words with Barcelona - who hope to sign him this summer - he admitted he did bite the player.