The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), on Friday May 5, has mentioned that the four-match ban from international football for Argentina star Lionel Messi, has been lifted.
Messi's fine of CHF 10,000, also has been lifted.
The FC Barcelona star forward was guilty of verbally abusing a linesman during Argentina's 1-0 win over Chile in a South American World Cup 2018 qualifier on March 23. After studying the video footage closely, FIFA slapped Messi with a four-match suspension and the aforesaid monetary fine just ahead of La Albiceleste's next match against Bolivia on March 28.
Messi's appeal to get the ban lifted has met the green signal from the FIFA appeals committee.
The FIFA Appeal Committee has upheld the appeal lodged by the Argentinian Football Association, on behalf of the player Lionel Messi, against the decision taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, lifting the sanctions imposed on him as a result.
Following a hearing which took place in Zurich on 4 May 2017, the Appeal Committee has set aside the decision taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 28 March 2017, which, in application of art. 77 a) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), had found Lionel Messi guilty of infringing art. 57 of the FDC for having directed insulting words at an assistant referee.
- FIFA Statement on Messi.
Argentina's upcoming international fixture is against Uruguay on August 31.
At the moment, Argentina are fifth in the World Cup qualification table from the CONMEBOL football federation, with four matches remaining. If Messi and Co. fail to make it to the top four in the end, they lose the chance to seal an automatic qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia.
Brazil top the group at the moment with four matches to go.
