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Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has been fined $50,000 and banned from playing for his national team Argentina, following his heavy criticism of CONMEBOL during the Copa America. Messi was incensed by several incidents during the Copa, including one that saw two Argentina denied two penalty claims in a semifinal loss against Brazil. Messi claimed the officials didn't use VAR on fouls against Argentina because they were "in favor" of Brazil. "Referees gave so many stupid fouls in this Copa America but today VAR wasn't consulted once," said Messi. "This should be looked into and I hope CONMEBOL do something with these referees who unbalance the pitch by favoring a team.  "The truth is we're angry because we played very well, we put in a huge effort for it and to end like this makes us sad." CONMEBOL justified banning and fining Messi on their website, though not spelling out the exact reason for the ban in clear terms. They said ...

After Argentina's loss to Brazil in a Copa America semi-final game marred by controversial refereeing, Lionel Messi, Argentina's captain, hit out at CONMEBOL and the tournament as a whole, and also after being controversially sent off in the third-place play-off with Chile. Messi claimed the game officials had been favoring tournament hosts, Brazil, throughout the Copa.  CONMEBOL reacted indirectly, qualifying Messi's rant as "unacceptable". Messi's long-tie Barcelona team-mate, Dani Alves, who won player of the tournament at the Copa America also criticized Messi, reiterating that Messi remains a dear friend, but still believes Messi was wrong. "A friend is not always right just because he's a friend. You can say it in the heat of the moment, but I still won't agree," Alves told  SporTV's 'Bem Amigos'. "Firstly, he's disrespecting an institution such as the Selecao, in my view. Secondly, he's being disre...

Paraguay's football legend, former goalkeeper  José Luis Chilavert, has sided with Argentina captain Lionel Messi amid the latter's allegations against CONMEBOL (the South American Football Confederation. Not only did Chilavert agree with Messi, but went further to say the tournament was "prepared so Brazil would become champions", as per  Mundo Deportivo . He launched a scathing attack on CONMEBOL saying: “CONMEBOL is killing football. Why would they sanction Messi, if we live in a democratic world? The players need to unite and boycott CONMEBOL. VAR came to legalize corruption that exists in South American football, the company that controls VAR was a part of ‘FIFAgate.’ It makes me laugh that they say, ‘Chilavert was right.’”

Messi was controversially sent off the Argentina - Chile third place play-off yesterday, with a red card, only the second of his illustrious career. Many player, and even coaches have criticized his expulsion. One of those who did not hold back their criticism of the use of VAR and CONMEBOL's faulty management was Arturo Vidal.  After the game, he said: "I think Argentina had things go against then when they played Brazil.  "It was unfair, just like when they sent us to a hotel two hours away from the stadium to play against Colombia. "The referee wanted to be more important than the game, how can he send off both captains for a bit of pushing? "Clearly they got ahead of themselves, they didn't touch faces, there was nothing serious. "Two shoves with the chest isn't a red card." VAR also came into question as Vidal spoke to the press in the mixed zone after the match. "VAR is used in a different way in Europe, in South ...