FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi looks down during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Alaves at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
ZURICH — FIFA has banned the head of the Palestinian Football Association from attending soccer games for a year for inciting hatred and violence toward Lionel Messi.
Jibril Rajoub called on Arab soccer fans to burn Messi posters and shirts if he participated in an Argentina game in Israel in June. It led to Argentina canceling the World Cup warmup match.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee cited comments by the Palestinian FA president “calling on football fans to target the Argentinian Football Association and burn jerseys and pictures of Lionel Messi.”
Rajoub is banned from attending any football matches in an official capacity for 12 months from Friday.