Lionel Messi's four-match ban for allegedly insulting a referee has been overturned by FIFA. Messi sat out one match, a 2-0 loss to Bolivia in La Paz, before the FIFA appeals committee made its ruling.
This is good news for Argentina, for whom qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia is still up in the air. La Albiceleste sitting fifth, in the play-off spot, one point behind Chile and Uruguay and two points ahead of Ecuador. They cannot afford any slip-ups, which are much more plentiful when Lionel Messi is not in the lineup.
Essentially, FIFA said Messi's interaction with the referee didn't warrant a four-match suspension, but still merited some punishment, so the suspension has effectively been reduced to one match.
The Argentine Football Association is definitely breathing a sigh of relief right now.
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