FC Barcelona's ace forward and Argentina football captain, Lionel Messi has been banned for four international matches by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

The 29 year old's ban came hours ahead of Argentina's match against Bolivia in the South American Qualifiers, where they lost 2-0, jeopardizing their qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Messi was punished for directing "insulting words" against an assistant referee during the match against Chile on Thursday. The team sealed the game 1-0 thanks to Messi's penalty kick. Along with his 4 match ban, he was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs for waving & shouting at the official after being given a foul. Messi will miss three of the four remaining games for his team.

Argentina are now fifth in the table, with the top four being able to qualify. This means that Argentina will have to secure their spot in the World Cup by winning the remaining games without their captain.

In a statement, Barcelona FC has expressed their "surprise and indignation" at the committee's ruling. The Spanish club has reiterated its support to Messi and has said that the decision was "unfair and disproportionate".

While Argentina have went on to appeal against the ban, it will, without a doubt, be a rough qualifiers for them to ensure their ticket to Russia.