Lionel Messi has been given a three-month ban from international football by CONMEBOL after his comments that the Copa America in Brazil was influenced by corruption.
The official South American footballing body stated that Messi accusations after Argentina's exit from the 2019 Copa America were "groundless and unacceptable."
In the statement, CONMEBOL added that apart from a three-month ban, Messi will also have to pay a $50,000 fine for his comments.
Messi refused to go up and claim a bronze medal, even after his side defeated Chile 2-1 in the third-place playoff.
The incident that resulted in his comments came in the 37th minute of the match against Chile, when an on-field scuffle between him and Gary Medel resulted in them both being sent off. Afterwards, Messi went on to criticise the association, saying that Argentina "should not take part in this corruption."
He also added that "This competition was set for Brazil to win. I did not want to receive a medal during the ceremony because I did not want to be a part of this disrespectful event. The truth needed to be told."
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