FIFA Lifts Lionel Messi's 4 Match International Ban

Lionel Messi's four-match international ban for insulting a match official has been lifted by FIFA after a successful appeal by the Argentinian Football Association.

The Barcelona superstar, who was handed the suspension in March after he was found to have verbally abused an assistant referee during Argentina's FIFA World Cup qualifier with Chile, had been set to miss key qualifiers against Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru, only returning for Argentina's final group match against Ecuador..

However, the FIFA Appeal Committee has now overturned the decision on appeal after concluding "the evidence available was not sufficient to establish to the appropriate standard," per FIFA.

The 29-year-old maestro will now be available for the vital run-in, giving Argentina's qualification chances a huge boost.