Lionel Messi has paid for his potty mouth with a four-match ban. The Barcelona striker was informed of the suspension just hours before Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia on Tuesday evening, a punishment that included a £8,100 fine.
The BBC says that Messi was hit with the ban for directing "insulting words" at an assistant referee in Thursday's 1-0 victory over Chile. The 29-year-old Argentina captain scored the tie's only goal but that evidently didn't do much for his temper, and he was seen losing his rag when he was flagged by the assistant Marcelo van Gasse.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to Argentine newspaper, Ole, match referee Sandro Ricci said he was unaware that Messi had insulted any official during the match and didn't mention the incident in his original report.
But according to Goal.com Messi went mad in the second half when Van Gasse ruled that he'd committed a foul, directing a foul-mouthed tirade at the official, insulting his mother. He still was still smouldering at the end of the match and refused to shake Van Gasse's hand.
After studying television footage of the confrontation, Fifa intervened on Monday and insisted that a Conmebol disciplinary panel investigate the incident. "If I had heard any offensive word, I would have acted in according the rules of the game," said Ricci, when asked why he'd overlooked the contretemps.
He did award a controversial penalty to Argentina, however, after adjudging Angel di Maria to have been pushed in the area, and Messi duly scored the spot kick.
Messi can appeal against the ban to Fifa but as it stands he will sit out the World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru in the stands, presumably cursing his misfortune.
Betfair - new customer offer - bet £10 and get £10 in free bets
-
Will Ukraine trade territory for peace?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Kyiv’s defences are wearing thin but a land swap is constitutionally impossible and crosses Zelenskyy's red lines
-
Quiz of The Week: 9 – 15 AugustQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Britain's giant rat problemRising infestation reports and increased sightings of oversized rats have caused concerns about waste management in some areas
-
World Cup 2026: uncertainty reigns with one year to goIn the Spotlight US-hosted Fifa tournament has to navigate Trump's travel bans, logistical headaches and an exhausting expanded format
-
Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup: glitz, glamour and 'grimly inevitable'Talking Point Critics claim country is guilty of sportswashing as it stands unopposed to host tournament
-
Fifa World Cup 2026 expansion: for the global game or for Fifa’s greed?Talking Point The men’s tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the USA will have a record 104 matches
-
A tale of ‘two World Cups’: Messi, Mbappé and ‘money well spent’ for Qatarfeature Amid sportswashing and human rights concerns, Qatar 2022 ended with the perfect final
-
2022 World Cup final: Argentina vs. France prediction, preview, team newsfeature Mbappé and Messi will go for glory, the golden boot, golden ball, and PSG bragging rights
-
2022 World Cup final: Lionel Messi’s last chance to emulate Diego MaradonaTalking Point Argentina captain is one win away from achieving the ultimate dream
-
Lionel Messi’s World Cup dream: it really is ‘now or never’ for Argentina’s captainfeature After lifting the Copa América in 2021, can he finally add a World Cup winners’ medal to his trophy cabinet?
-
The biggest sports scandals of the 21st centuryIn Depth Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and football’s governing body have all shocked the world
