Lionel Messi was not happy after his team was beaten by Brazil in the 2019 Copa América — so unhappy he suggested the match was rigged.
Messi will be even unhappier after being handed a three-month ban for his comments.
CONMEBOL suspended Messi from the Argentina national team for three months and slapped him with a $50,000 fine for the No. 10’s comments during this summer’s Copa América.
Messi called out what he perceived as corruption in CONMEBOL, with referees not allowing the games to be played the way they were meant to be played.
The three-month ban doesn’t actually mean much, unless you’re a Mexico fan who bought tickets for the friendly in San Antonio on Sept. 10. Messi will miss that friendly as well as exhibitions against Chile (Sept. 5 in Los Angeles) and Germany (Nov. 3 in Dortmund).
However, Messi will be suspended for Argentina’s next World Cup qualifier, a product of his red card he picked up in the Copa América third-place match against Chile. Admittedly, it was a bullshit red card — just his second of his career — but CONMEBOL wasn’t about to soften the punishment after Messi’s criticisms of the federation.
In the meantime, Messi will take solace in being one of the greatest footballers to ever live while partying on a yacht in Ibiza with his wife, family and friends. Poor guy.
Barcelona and Messi have three more friendlies before the start of the 2019-20 LaLiga campaign. The Blaugrana host Arsenal in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Sunday followed by a pair of exhibitions against Napoli on Wednesday and Aug. 10.
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