Argentina fans are expected to defy Lionel Messi's ban

Argentina fans are expected to defy Lionel Messi's ban and wear his shirt at the upcoming match against Paraguay

The ban was imposed by FIFA after Messi was found guilty of making "insulting and discriminatory" remarks towards an assistant referee in Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Chile

Despite the ban, many fans are expected to wear Messi's shirt at the match, which will be played in Asuncion on Thursday.

Some fans have even started a campaign on social media, urging others to wear Messi's shirt at the match.

The ban is a major blow to Argentina, who are already without several key players for the match, including Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain.

Messi is Argentina's captain and talisman, and his absence will be a major blow to the team's chances of winning the match.

However, Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli is confident that his team can still win the match without Messi.

"We have a lot of good players in our team, and we are confident that we can still win the match without Messi," Sampaoli said.

"We know that it will be difficult, but we are prepared to give everything we have."

Argentina are currently second in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings, behind Brazil.

A win against Paraguay would move Argentina closer to securing a place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.