Central & South America

In La Paz, Bolivia, more than 10,000 feet above sea level, the air is so thin you can almost see Argentina's World Cup qualification hopes floating away.

It's not over yet, of course, but after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Bolivia and with Lionel Messi suspended for three of Argentina's four remaining qualifiers, it's not looking good.

We still don't know what Messi said to the assistant referee after Argentina's 1-0 win over Chile Thursday, but whatever it was got him a four-match suspension, curiously announced just six hours before the Bolivia match.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has handed Lionel Messi a suspension of four games for his altercation with an assistant referee following Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Chile on Thursday. The ban goes into effect immediately, ruling Messi out of Argentina’s match against Bolivia in La Paz later today.

Back on October 13, 2013, Panama were on the verge of their first-ever World Cup finals. Needing Costa Rica to defeat Mexico in San Jose was the first part of the equation, but the more daunting task was the one facing them — they’d have to defeat the United States in Panama City.

With the United States having already qualified as Hexagonal winners, a largely second-string American team gave Panama the conviction that history could be made on the day. Panama took an early lead through Gabriel Torres, only to be pegged back by American defender Michael Orozco.

(clears throat)

Webster's Dictionary defines "incompetence" as . . . 

It doesn't really matter what Webster's Dictionary defines incompetence as, because I know it when I see it, and this is it. First, Belgrano de Cordoba's defense took a nap when they should have been paying attention to what River Plate's attackers were doing. One defender was paying attention, but he played the situation badly and took himself out of the action right at the start.

Paulinho. Really. I am not making this up.

The Guangzhou Evergrande man scored three times to see Brazil over Uruguay, 4-1.

POW!!!
@paulinho squares things up with an ABSOLUTE SCREAMER!!! 1-1. #WCQ https://t.co/mNRiRktJee

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) March 23, 2017

Try as Chile and his teammates might, Lionel Messi remained on course to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. When they get there, Messi’s teammates and the opposition might get the better of him, but tonight was not their night. Messi converted a penalty after a soft call in the box and Argentina hung on for a 1-0 victory in Buenos Aires.

Colombia almost offered Argentina a massive lifeline before they’d even taken the field by leaving it until the 83rd-minute to take the lead against lowly Bolivia in Barranquilla. However, James Rodriguez converted the follow-up after his initial penalty was saved, and Colombia secured a vital three points.

James remains very much on the periphery at Real Madrid, scoring only two goals in La Liga this season, but he’s a faultless captain when it comes to leading Colombia.

Police in Peru seized a shipment of 1,417 kilos of cocaine, worth millions of dollars, branded with Lionel Messi's logo.

Image: Police in Peru have seized 1,417 kilograms of Cocaine worth €85m with the photos of Messi on it. [md] pic.twitter.com/QCZg0gXxww

— Barcastuff (@barcastuff_real) March 23, 2017

The story of Brazilian goalkeeper Bruno and his sentencing to 22 years in prison is one that makes the stomach turn. Back in 2010, Bruno was playing for Flamengo in the Brazilian Serie A and reportedly on the verge of joining AC Milan. 

Involved in a dispute with former model Eliza Samudio over child support payments, Bruno had his friends kidnap her, torture her, murder her and fed to Rottweilers. A month after Samudio's disappearance, a judge ordered Bruno's arrest.