Lionel Messi has been suspended by Paris Saint-Germain for making a personal promotional trip to Saudi Arabia without the club’s permission.
The 35-year-old was pictured in Riyadh on Monday after travelling to the country on Sunday night.
He is understood to have been denied permission for the trip by officials at PSG and has been fined two weeks’ wages and handed a two-game suspension.
The Argentinian World Cup winner, who has a role as a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia, will also not train with PSG during the same period.
Messi, who returned to Paris on Tuesday night, used social media to advertise his trip while Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister posted pictures of his visit.
The suspension means Messi will next be available for PSG for their match with Auxerre on 21 May, but will miss the league games against Troyes and Ajaccio.
PSG have not made any public comment.
Messi played the full 90 minutes of Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat to Lorient, which saw PSG’s lead over Marseille at the top of Ligue 1 cut to five points.
The French side is said to have adopted a new policy under the guidance of its president, Nasser al Khelaifi, in which no individual is bigger than the club.
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Messi’s suspension comes amid speculation over whether he will be staying in Paris as he enters the final period of a two-year contract.
His former club Barcelona are understood to be interested in taking him back to Spain, while Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal are reportedly prepared to give Messi a huge £400m contract for just one season.
The Argentina captain has scored 24 goals for his club this season.
