Lionel Messi has been banned from Argentina's next four World Cup qualifiers, starting with Tuesday's game in Bolivia.

Messi was banned for "having directed insulting words at an assistant referee" during a home qualifier against Chile on Thursday, FIFA said hours before kickoff in La Paz.

"This decision is in line with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee's previous rulings in similar cases," the world soccer body said.

Messi and the Argentine soccer federation can appeal against the ban to FIFA. Messi was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,160).

FIFA intervened when the incident was not initially reported by the Brazilian referee after Argentina's 1-0 win at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

It was judged a red-card offense for Messi, who scored the only goal from a first-half penalty.

The decision means the five-times world player of the year will play in only one of Argentina's remaining five World Cup qualifiers, a severe blow to the two-times world champions who are struggling in the marathon South American campaign.

Messi, 29, will also miss games away to Uruguay and home to Venezuela and Peru. The Barcelona forward will be eligible again when Argentina visit Ecuador on Oct. 10.

Argentina are third in the 10-team South American group with 22 points from 13 games but have only a two-point cushion over sixth-placed Chile, with Colombia (21) and Ecuador (20) sandwiched in between.

The top four qualify directly for the tournament in Russia and the fifth side play off against a team from a different confederation for another place. 

Image: Lionel Messi

Photograph: Reuters