Lionel Messi has been suspended from Argentina’s next three matches and given a $50,000 (£41,000)

Lionel Messi has been suspended from Argentina’s next three matches and given a $50,000 (£41,000) fine by CONMEBOL, for his controversial comments made during the Copa America.

The Barcelona superstar accused South America’s football governing body of corruption, following the red card he received in his country’s 2-1 third-place playoff win against Chile.

Messi will miss friendly matches against Chile (September 5), Mexico (September 10) and Germany (October 10) in addition to the one-match World Cup qualifying ban for being sent off.

It had seemed that the one-game suspension for the red would be all Messi was given.

But CONMEBOL has now punished the 32-year-old for his scathing remarks too.