Romer Osuna, who also once headed Bolivia’s football federation, was among a group of South American football officials charged with corruption in 2015 amid the unprecedented scandal that triggered sweeping reform within FIFA.

The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s independent ethics committee said in a statement that it had investigated a bribery scheme that ran from 2012 to 2015 in which Osuna was accused of “awarding contracts to companies for the media and marketing rights to CONMEBOL competitions.”

“The adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Osuna had breached art. 27 (Bribery) of the 2018 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics and, as a result, sanctioned him with a ban for life,” it said.

FIFA also fined Osuna 1 million Swiss francs ($1 million, 922,000 euros).

Shortly after he was charged, Osuna had pledged to cooperate with investigators, both in Bolivia and in the United States, who were probing graft within world football.

AFP

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The Argentina star  had accused CONMEBOL of “corruption” after he was sent off against Chile during the third-place play-off during the tournament in Brazil, which ended last month.

Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Barcelona forward, Messi was angered by two incidents during the June-July Copa hosted by bitter rivals Brazil.

Argentina were denied two penalty claims in their 2-0 semi-final defeat to the hosts, after which Messi claimed Brazil were “managing a lot in CONMEBOL these days.”

And when he was harshly dismissed in the next game, which Argentina went on to win 2-1, he couldn’t contain his anger.

“Corruption and the referees are preventing people from enjoying the football and they’re ruining it a bit,” Messi said.

He was given his marching orders after a first-half scuffle with Chile captain Gary Medel in which television pictures suggested he’d done little wrong.

Though, the CONMEBOL statement on its website didn’t specify why Messi was being punished but said it was related to articles 7.1 and 7.2 of its disciplinary regulations.

One such clause refers to “offensive, insulting behavior or making defamatory protests of any kind.”

Another clause mentions “breaching the decisions, directives or orders of the judicial bodies.”

The ban means only that Messi will miss a handful of friendly matches as Argentina’s next competitive fixture is not until the South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar begin in March.

However, he has already received a one-game ban from CONMEBOL for his red card against Chile meaning he’ll miss the first of those.

Argentina have two friendlies lined up in the United States in September against Chile and Mexico and another in October away to Germany.

Messi would miss all three of those but be free to play for his country again in November.

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