Messi banned for 3 months for 'corruption' outburst

Messi to miss Argentina's upcoming friendlies against Chile and Mexico in US

Maradona tells Messi to ignore critics, has nothing to prove after Argentina's shock loss Lionel Messi | Reuters

Argentina's Lionel Messi has been banned from international duty for three months and fined $50,000 for levelling accusations of "corruption" at South American soccer chiefs during the Copa America. Messi was sent off against in the Copa America third-place playoff and afterwards alleged that the tournament had been fixed in favour of hosts Brazil, who beat Argentina in a controversial semi-final on their way to the title.

The Argentina captain called the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) "corrupt" and did not attend the ceremony to pick up his medal. Messi was angered by two incidents during the June-July Copa hosted by bitter rivals Brazil. Argentina were denied two penalty claims in their 2-0 semi-final defeat to the hosts, after which Messi claimed Brazil were "managing a lot in CONMEBOL these days." And when he was harshly dismissed in the next game, which Argentina went on to win 2-1, he could not contain his anger. 

He was given his marching orders after a first-half scuffle with Chile captain Gary Medel in which television pictures suggested he'd done little wrong. 

"Corruption and the referees are preventing people from enjoying the football and they're ruining it a bit," Messi said. He was handed a one-match ban and a $1,500 fine for his sending off last month. 

CONMEBOL had said that the Barcelona forward's comments were "unacceptable". "The player is suspended to play official and friendly matches with his national team in that period of time," the organisation said in a statement on Friday. 

The ban means Messi will miss Argentina's upcoming friendlies against Chile and Mexico in the United States in September and another against Germany in Dortmund on October 9. He can appeal against the latest sanctions within seven days.

Messi is already suspended from the first match of the South American World Cup qualifiers next March because of the apparently undeserved red card he received against Chile.

(With agency inputs)