The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed an appeal by the head of Palestinian soccer against his ban by the FIFA international soccer federation for "inciting hatred and violence" toward Lionel Messi.
The Switzerland-based CAS said its judging panel decided that FIFA's sanctions against Palestinian Soccer Federation President Jibril Rajoub – a one-year ban from attending games and a fine of $20,250 – "were not disproportionate."
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Rajoub's ban expires next month, before the national team's first 2022 World Cup qualifying game at home to Uzbekistan on Sept. 5.
Rajoub's comments were made when Argentina was due to play a warm-up game in Israel for the 2018 World Cup.
He urged fans to burn Argentina shirts with Messi's name and pictures.
The Israel Football Association filed a complaint to FIFA following the incident. Argentina eventually canceled the friendly, ostensibly over Israel's insistence on holding the match in Jerusalem, a decision that sparked controversy.
