Lionel Messi gets four-match ban for swearing at assistant referee

Barcelona star Lionel Messi was suspended for four Argentina matches by FIFA yesterday for swearing at an assistant referee

Lionel Messi

Zurich: Barcelona star Lionel Messi was suspended for four Argentina matches by FIFA yesterday for swearing at an assistant referee.

Messi was found guilty of "having directed insulting words at an assistant referee" in the World Cup qualifier against Chile last Thursday, which Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from the Barcelona hitman.

The Argentina forward was also fined 10,000 Swiss Francs (£8,100). Messi will miss Argentina’s next South American qualifying game against Bolivia, scheduled for later Tuesday. He will also miss the qualifier in Uruguay in August, at home to Venezuela the following month and at home to Peru in October, meaning he will only be able to return for Argentina's final qualifying match away to Ecuador.

Argentina lie third in the South American qualifying group, with only the top four guaranteed a place in Russia 2018.

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