ARGENTINE soccer great Diego Maradona made his point to Fifa on Monday.

He called a Fifa ban on high-altitude international matches as 'ridiculous' after deliberately playing a charity game with President Evo Morales in the thin air of Bolivia's mountain capital.

'It's ridiculous that they want to take away Bolivia's chance to play on its own soil,' Maradona, the famed captain of Argentina's 1986 World Cup-winning team, said.

'God has given each of us our place, and we have to respect that.'

At a meeting in Zurich on Friday, Fifa (the world football controlling body) ratified a rule requiring players to acclimatise for at least a week before international games above 2,750 metres and two weeks for matches higher than 3,000m.

With matches often scheduled within days of one another, the rule virtually bans games at those altitudes. Fifa said it was concerned about negative health effects on players unaccustomed to thin air.

Bolivian President Morales, a soccer fan, led a spirited campaign against the ban, playing a game at 6,000m on the icy slope of an Andean peak, before 25,000 fans, to prove the game could be played anywhere.

Maradona called the ruling a 'political' decision by Fifa president Sepp Blatter , who 'has never played soccer'.

'He's never kicked a penalty,' he said. 'Now he's playing with the passion of the people.'

Maradona's diamond earrings flashed in the mountain sunlight as he led a team of retired Argentine All-stars to a 7-4 victory over Morales' motley squad of several dozen former Bolivian greats.

Citing his age, just three years short of the half-century, Maradona said: 'I, at 47, and President Morales have shown Fifa that you can run on this pitch.

'You have to play where you are born, not even God can prohibit this and certainly not Blatter.

'This Fifa measure is ridiculous because they want to make Bolivia go somewhere else. It's disgraceful, it was approved by people who have never chased a football, it's political.

'Are they trying to change geography?'

President Morales warned his government would present a lawsuit against Fifa over their decision, which especially affects the city of La Paz.

The Bolivian Soccer Federation expects to protest at the prohibition before a Fifa congress in May.

Maradona added: 'Bolivia can count on me on their side when they fight Fifa's decision.

'I really do not believe that (Lionel) Messi, (Sergio) Aguero, Ronaldinho or Robinho have problems playing here.'

Meanwhile, Chile announced they would ignore the Fifa ruling for their upcoming World Cup qualifying match against Bolivia and play the 14 June game as originally scheduled in La Paz.

For the record, in the charity match, Maradona scored three goals to Morales' one.

As he left the field after the final whistle, a winded Maradona pounded his chest and issued his verdict on playing at high altitude.

'Yes, you can!' he hollered.

AP