Lionel Messi has been banned from international matches for three months and hit with a £41,000 fine by South America’s football governing body CONMEBOL.
The sanctions come after Messi accused CONMEBOL of corruption following his red card in last month’s Copa America third-place playoff after tangling with Chile’s Gary Medel, who also received his marching orders.
The ban means Messi won’t be able to represent Argentina until November, meaning he’ll miss the international friendlies against Chile and Mexico in September and Germany in October, as well as one World Cup qualifier.
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As things stand, he could return for a friendly against Brazil, which has provisionally been scheduled for November 13.
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