Argentinean star Lionel Messi has been slapped with a four match ban after he verbally assaulted a referee’s assistant during his side’s 1-0 win against Chile in world cup qualifying.

Messi, who scored his side’s winning goal via a penalty, lost his cool after an assistant referee penalised him for a foul and he hurled expletives at the official.

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A disciplinary panel hearing the case has handed the five time world player of the year a four game ban, which would effectively rule him out of the rest of world cup qualifying as there are only five games left.

Aside the ban, Messi also received a £8,100 for his misconduct.