RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (AFP) — It was another party in Copacabana, the bars packed, the samba turned up — and, in the middle of it all, hundreds of World Cup fans lining up to be bitten by Luis Suarez.

Or at least that was what it looked like in the photos snapped in front of an Adidas billboard of the disgraced Uruguayan star giving an open-mouthed war cry above the suddenly ironic slogan “All or nothing.”

As a warm breeze blew over the iconic Rio de Janeiro beach, fans from around the world queued Thursday night to put an exposed shoulder, arm or head between the 27-year-old striker’s giant teeth after FIFA banned him from football for four months for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini.

By yesterday morning, Adidas — which has dropped Suarez from all World Cup advertising over the incident — had taken down the ad and replaced it with one featuring Brazil’s non-biting Dani Alves.

But not before hundreds of people had taken versions of the instantly viral picture.

Life-long Liverpool fan Godfrey Branch, one of those who beat the German sportswear giant to the scene, described his complicated feelings on Suarez, who scored 31 league goals for his club last season but is now serving his third ban for biting opponents.

“Suarez is my favourite player. I’m a Liverpool supporter, I love Suarez,” the 44-year-old England fan told AFP.

“But I don’t agree with what he’s done. I think he does it when he gets frustrated,” he said.

“Something triggers it off, it’s insane. At a heavy price — it affects his country, his club. People have paid millions to see him and he disappoints everybody. And he’s not a very good role model for kids. Kids love this guy. And he’s a kid himself.”

Draped in the flag of Colombia — the team Uruguay face today in Rio as they try to keep their World Cup hopes alive without their hero — Reynel Ramirez said he would have preferred to see Suarez play the match.

“I’m a Suarez fan, but it’s irresponsible of a player like him to do this,” said the 29-year-old engineer. “It seems comical to me.”

Spotting a marketing opportunity of his own, Facundo Nahuel, a 23-year-old Argentine covered in tattoos and earrings, arrived with a tray of fresh caipirinhas and started selling the famed Brazilian cocktails to the crowd for $2 each.

“I like Suarez a lot because he’s a warrior, because he drenches his shirt in sweat, because he gives everything for his team, for his country. The punishment they gave him is unfair,” he said between sales.

As the laughing masses from Colombia, England, Germany and beyond stood in line for a photo, irate fans in Uruguay’s sky-blue jersey unleashed a flurry of insults.

“Hang in there Suarez,” shouted some.

“We’re going to win without Suarez and we’re going to shut these people up. FIFA can go shove it you know where. Suarez was just one man on the team, there are 22 predators left,” said Martin de Leon, a 25-year-old Uruguayan who works as a tour guide in Rio.

To fellow Uruguayan Marcelo Garcia, there is more to Suarez’s ban than meets the eye (or the teeth).

“It makes me angry and hurt to see these people taking their pictures. It’s not funny,” said the 37-year-old construction manager, who lives in the United States.

“Unfortunately Suarez brought it on himself. I don’t understand why he did it. But it wasn’t such a big deal. FIFA took advantage of it to throw the book at him so he couldn’t play against Brazil,” he said.