I don't really know much about this but apparently Messi abused the linesman and has been banned for 4 games. That would mean that Messi is virtually out of the World Cup Qualifiers. Think this is too harsh since FIFA usually does 4 match bans in cases of violence. And this being told the players and team hours before their match is a bit slow on FIFA's part.

@Daggerwall Wow, this is actually real... Ouch, this will hurt Argentiina chance to qualify... :( I agree this way too harsh for that. 2 match ban would seem far more fair in my opinion. Anyway, thanks for the share. Good luck to Argentina mate in the coming game.

Lol 4 matches? Should've stamped on him and would get 3 matches.

@chelsea8 Exactly, I don't know what Messi told the linesman, but the poor guy must have hit a depression from it or else it wouldn't have so bad. Fifa is so inconsistent... One day they give 3 match ban for terribly violent offense and sometime they give 4 match one for something that really isn''t as bad. :(

This ban is ridiculous, 2 would be fair...

Tough luck Argentina! They will be in super deep sh!t!!!

For anyone who doubts Messi's influences for Argentina, here is the stat:

@tuan Yep, thats exactly what I thougth, poor Argentina, they gonna need their top player to show up in the comming game... :(

Apparently the refs have denied the claim that Messi abused them. The main ref has said that he didn't hear anything serious from Messi else he would've given him a card. The linesman similarly has said that Messi was frustrated and said something but it was iintelligible, Honestly I don't really know what is happening at this point. Argentina has appealed so we'll see what can be done against it. Messi deserves the ban but a 4 match ban is too much. Let me remind you that Jara was given 3 match ban that was later appealed and lowered to 2. That was for fingering Cavani's anus. I suppose talking smack is worse than sexually assaulting someone.

That's strange. I saw on the news that the main ref said he didn't hear anything (from either Messi nor the line-ref during the game).

I dont get this BAN from FIFA, it would suck for natural fans to miss Argentina in the world cup. We might miss the Netherlands already

no we do need messi, no one has performed in the absence of messi. higuain hasn't, dybala also failed to replace him on the wing, gaitan failed as well. i trust correa, he might not be as great a player as messi, but he's a runner, and i like that. i've never been more scared for a game. in altitude and without messi. my god....

International regulations are very different than league ones, and this type of long ban is not that unusual.

Apparently the refs have denied the claim that Messi abused them.

This is false. The head official did not hear anything and therefore did not put anything into his match report. This is to be expected, because the "insults" were not directed to him, but to the linesman. The linesman was aware of the insults (didn't deny it at all), but did not hear the exact words. The ban came from as a result of video footage that caught whatever it was Messi said.

After doing some quick research, any type of personal attack towards an official is met by a ban of 3-5 games, Sergio Ramos had a 5-match ban back in 2013 for something similar, although objectively more aggressive in nature.

It's too harsh. Players say bad words to refs all the time and usually there is no punishment at all, if Messi did something wrong he would have gotten a red card no?

I would normally say it's harsh, but if @Sun's research proves true, then FIFA are upholding some standard and not just dishing out random punishments. Besides, players shouldn't be allowed to harass officials anyways.

If I am not mistaken, in the instances where @Sun has stated, the players received red cards from the ref as well. This case is a bit special since no card was issued, the specifics of the langauge are also unknown to me at the moment. Your right the ref didn't deny it but did express that it was normal for a player to be frustrated and he couldn't hear what Messi was saying properly. Anyways, no one is above the rules and he should be punished accordingly.

Apparently the refs have denied the claim that Messi abused them. The main ref has said that he didn't hear anything serious from Messi else he would've given him a card. The linesman similarly has said that Messi was frustrated and said something but it was iintelligible

The red card itself is kind of irrelevant. Think of it like a bad tackle that didn't get punished by the refs at the time, (e.g. Mings on Ibra). The ruling would've been given regardless of a card.

Well, it just seem awfully convenient for the other team that Messi is out of commision for so long because of something that Fifa usually doesn't seem to look into. Still, if there is a rule about it as Sun say, I can understand where its coming from, I just don't understand we don't more ban than that however. :S Still think they should simply man up and have Messi give sincere excuse for what he said to the linesman instead of being so harsh. Or at least, reduce the number of bans if he does excuse himself. That would be a great exemple of fair-play from both side. :D But yeah, its not very realistic. XD

his ban will be reduced if Argentina will fail to win in next matches, FIFA can't afford a world cup without Messi.

No one in the right mind would want a world cup without Messi or any of the top stars. :D

As @SunFlash said, there are rules. So I agree a ban is reasonable, but 4 is ridiculous, too harsh.

A player frustrated and swore, it wasn't like he screamed at the ref phase, stood tall or threaten to attack. Messi was fouled a few times without being called, and called for a foul he thought he didn't make. Then swore, walked away and moved on with the game.

4 games???

South American football they swear ALL THE FREAKIN TIME. In fact, European football too.

I dont say it right, but it feels bitter and unfair, if you compare it to all the incidents, leg breaking, cheating, diving, fighting at the same level or club levels.

@tuan

I agree with that. The ban itself seems stupid to me, given everything else that goes on, but the people attempting to claim that this is "anti-Messi" are simply incorrect, this happens all the time - just no one cares when it's a lower profile individual.

The stare decisis in law and governing bodies is universally adopted - for those unfamiliar with law it basically means that the precedent of previous similar cases is the punishment for future ones, perhaps better understood by saying "standing by something that has happened before."

Maybe Argentina should realise that they are not a one man team and simply stop putting all of their national talent away just to make Messi look good.
Argentina has a massive squad full of great players, always has been the case before Messi and will be after him, if they are blinded and can't see what talent they have and choose to put all their hopes in one player then bye bye World Cup glory.

@Golazo: you are simply a big Messi hater, and seriously need to cut it out. You have countless number of posts to dish Barca and Messi in particular, it's getting too obvious, and ridiculous now.

Golazo: putting all of their national talent away just to make Messi look good

This is one of the MOST RIDICULOUS claim when it comes to Argentina and national team I have ever heard of

Dont use big words like before and will be after blah blah. Every great football nation is like that regardless of any player, it's comon sense

Argentina is simply crap, from A to Z, with a bunch of good-on-paper players who NEVER PERFORM when going to national team. It doesn't take a fool to realize how much chances Di Maria, Higuain, Aguero have wasted in front of the goal that HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MESSI.

Argentina doesn't have enough talent in the mid, nor in the back to compete with anything. Their managers sucked since forever, from the drunk-coach Maradona (who called up Martin Parlemo) until now.

Every great team will build around one or two great players if they have some, Portugal around Ronaldo, Spain around Xavi, Iniesta... Argentina used to be around Maradona

Argentina dependent on Messi simply because they sucked, Messi was injured, quit or whatever reason and all the talents had room to shine, they just DID NOT. 1 win out of 8 games.

The coach simply sucks, the whole squad selection is just clueless.

Simply put: stop making Messi looks bad.

Maybe Argentina should realise that they are not a one man team and simply stop putting all of their national talent away just to make Messi look good.

1 day later: Bolivia 2:0 Argentina.