ZURICH: Lionel Messi has been banned from Argentina’s next four World Cup qualifiers, starting with Tuesday’s game in Bolivia.
Messi was banned for “having directed insulting words at an assistant referee” during a home qualifier against Chile on Thursday, FIFA said hours before kickoff in La Paz.
“This decision is in line with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s previous rulings in similar cases,” the world soccer body said.
Messi and the Argentine soccer federation can appeal against the ban to FIFA. Messi was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,160).
FIFA intervened when the incident was not initially reported by the Brazilian referee after Argentina’s 1-0 win at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
It was judged a red-card offense for Messi, who scored the only goal from a first-half penalty.
Television pictures showed Messi reacting angrily late in the game when the assistant flagged him for a foul. He waved his arms and shouted profane insults at the Brazilian official.
After the game, Messi refused to shake hands with the assistant who had annoyed him.
Messi will also miss Argentina’s game at Uruguay on Aug. 31, and home games against Venezuela on Sept. 5 and Peru on Oct. 5.
Argentina is third in the South American standings with five games left. Four teams qualify directly to play in Russia.
The 2014 World Cup finalists have struggled without their star player in qualifying for 2018, earning only seven out of a possible 21 points when he did not play.
FIFA bans Lionel Messi for 4 World Cup qualifying games
FIFA bans Lionel Messi for 4 World Cup qualifying games
Pakistan cricketers arrive in Sri Lanka to take part in T20 series ahead of World Cup
- All-rounders Shadab Khan, Rana Faheem Ashraf and pacers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza arrived in Colombo
- Pakistan are set to play three-match series from Jan. 7-11 ahead of T20I World Cup scheduled to begin from Feb. 7
ISLAMABAD: The first batch of Pakistani cricketers have arrived in Sri Lanka to take part in a three-match T20I series scheduled to be played later this week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday as the Green Shirts prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
According to the cricket board, Pakistani all-rounders Shadab Khan and Rana Faheem Ashraf as well as pacers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza arrived in Colombo on Sunday night.
Pakistan Head Coach Mike Hesson, Bowling Coach Ashley Noffke, the fielding coach and other members of the support staff have also arrived in Colombo.
“The remaining players of the national squad and other support staff members will depart from Lahore for Colombo on the afternoon of Jan. 5,” the PCB said in a statement.
Pakistan last week announced its 15-member squad for the Sri Lanka series, with Salman Ali Agha retained as captain to lead the side. Khan was recalled to the squad after recovering from a shoulder injury while uncapped batter Khawaja Nafay has also been selected in the team.
Pakistani star cricketers Haris Rauf, Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are not part of the squad. All three were playing for the Big Bash League, with Afridi returning mid-season after suffering an injury.
All three T20Is are scheduled to be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) in Dambulla on Jan. 7, 9 and 11.
“The series will provide Pakistan an opportunity to finalize their squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March,” the PCB said last week.
SQUAD:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq
