Argentina Ban On Lionel Messi Ahead Of World Cup Qualifiers

Lionel Messi was given his marching orders controversially last year in June in a Copa America third-place play-off against Chile and was handed a one-game ban.

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) stated that Messi will have to miss a competitive match to serve his ban, as Argentina played friendlies against Brazil and Uruguay later that year.

Set to play in World Cup qualifiers next month against Bolivia and Ecuador, Argentina confirmed that Messi's ban had been lifted and he would be eligible for selection.

They managed to overturn the decision by claiming that the statute of limitations on the ban had expired.

The Barcelona forward saw red inside the first-half of their third-place play-off with Chile after a collision with midfielder Gary Medel that saw both players take an early shower.

Despite not having their star talisman on the pitch, they went on to win the match 2-1 as Sergio Aguero and Paulo Dybala scored for Argentina.

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Messi had some choice words after the red card as he implied that officials were rigging the tournament in Brazil's favour.

This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago

Efe Bridget is a writer at GoalBall. She is a graduate of Mass Communication with 12 years of experience working with reputable publications.