Wayne Rooney will miss the start of England's Euro 2008 qualifying campaign after being banned for two matches by FIFA for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho.

The England striker was sent off during the World Cup quarter-final defeat by Portugal but claimed the stamp on the Chelsea defender had been unintentional.

The Football Association backed up the 20-year-old in their submission to FIFA's disciplinary committee but Rooney was found guilty of violent conduct. He has also been fined £2,400 (5,000 Swiss francs).

The Manchester United forward will miss England's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Andorra on September 2 at Old Trafford and Macedonia away on September 6.

It means new England head coach Steve McClaren will be without arguably the country's most important player for his first two competitive games in charge of the national side, which may also affect his selection for the friendly planned against Greece on August 16.

Meanwhile, FIFA have also banned two Argentina players for their part in the fracas at the end of the quarter-final against Germany.

Leandro Cufre has been suspended for four matches and fined £4,800 for kicking German defender Per Mertesacker in the groin.

Midfielder Maxi Rodriguez has been given a two-match suspension and fined £2,400 for throwing punches during the melee.

The Football Association believe Rooney has been given a fair deal by FIFA's disciplinary committee.

Director of communications Adrian Bevington said: "We have just received this decision from FIFA and we believe the case has been dealt with fairly and we accept the decision."

More privately, the England camp will be pleased with the outcome which justifies their stance on the sending off.

Rooney always insisted there was no intent behind his stamp on Carvalho and the FA chose to back his argument rather than issue an apology to FIFA.

There was criticism from some quarters that this was the wrong approach and may have tempted FIFA to increase the punishment.

But Rooney's two-match ban is in line with what the FA consider to be a fair suspension.

England should not miss their striker too badly against minnows Andorra in the opening game of the Euro 2008 campaign.

A trip to Macedonia without the Manchester United star may be trickier but he will be available for the return against the Macedonians, at Old Trafford, in October.

WAYNE ROONEY FACTFILE

1985: Born October 24, Liverpool.

2001: Progresses through the Everton academy ranks and scores eight goals during the club's run to the final of the FA Youth Cup.

2002: August 17 - Makes Premiership debut in Everton's season-opening 2-2 draw at Southampton.

October 1: Scores first goals at senior level with two in 3-0 Worthington Cup win at Wrexham.

October 19: Nets first Premiership goal with stunning late winner as Everton overcome champions Arsenal at Goodison Park.

December 26: Receives first red card of his Premiership career at Birmingham.

2003: January 17 - Signs new three-year deal at Everton.

February 12: Rooney becomes youngest player to win a full England cap when he appears as a second-half substitute against Australia.

March 29: Comes on as a substitute for the final 10 minutes of England's 2-0 win in Liechtenstein.

April 2: Named in starting line-up for crucial Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey at the Stadium of Light and shines as England win 2-0.

September 6: At 17 years and 317 days, becomes England's youngest goalscorer with equaliser in England's match in Macedonia.

2004: June 24 - Substituted after 27 minutes of Euro 2004 quarter-final against Portugal with what turns out to be a cracked metatarsal. The player had earlier scored four goals in the competition.

July 6: Offered five-year deal by Everton.

August 23: Everton reject £20million bid from Newcastle.

August 25: Everton reject £20million bid from Manchester United.

August 26: Everton reject improved bids from both clubs.

August 27: Hands in transfer request to Everton.

August 31: Arrives at United training ground for medical and the club confirm they have completed his signing for £27million just over four hours short of the deadline.

September 28: Scores a stunning hat-trick - his first senior treble - in a 6-2 victory over Fenerbahce in the Champions League, on his United debut.

November 17: Substituted in first half of England's friendly against Spain in Madrid, having already received a yellow card and committed two other reckless challenges.

2005: April 24 - On the day he scores a stunning winner against Newcastle, named PFA Young Player of the Year.

September 7: Booked for reckless challenge on Keith Gillespie as England lose 1-0 to Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier. Also swore at skipper David Beckham who tried to calm him down.

September 14: Sent off playing for Manchester United against Villarreal in the Champions League. Harshly booked for a foul on Quique Alvarez but then sarcastically applauded the decision right under the referee's nose and was shown a second yellow.

September 20 - Banned for two matches by UEFA.

2006: February 26 - Scores twice as Manchester United beat Wigan 4-0 in Carling Cup final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, Rooney's first senior trophy.

April 23: Named PFA Young Player of the Year for the second successive year.

April 29: Carried off during defeat at Chelsea and subsequently ruled out for six weeks with a broken fourth metatarsal in his right foot - with the start of the World Cup less than six weeks away.

May 26: A scan confirms Rooney's recovery is on course, with another scan scheduled for June 14 to decide whether he will be ready to return to training.

May 29: Second scan brought forward to June 7.

June 7: Rooney's flies back to Manchester for a second scan.

June 10: With Rooney on the bench but unused, England beat Paraguay 1-0 in their opening game.

June 15: Independent medical experts claims Rooney is "as fit as he can be", clearing him to play in the second group game against Trinidad and Tobago. He comes on in the second half and England win 2-0 thanks to late goals from Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard.

June 20: Rooney lasts 69 minutes of the 2-2 draw with Sweden as England top the group.

June 25: Plays the whole game as a lone striker as Ecuador are beaten 1-0.

July 1: Sent off in the quarter-final against Portugal by Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo after appearing to stamp on the groin of Ricardo Carvalho and then push Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. England lose on penalties.

July 3: Given a deadline of July 6 to offer his version of events leading up to his red card by FIFA, Rooney insisted he did not deliberately stamp on Carvalho and claimed he bore "no ill feeling" towards Ronaldo.

July 5: In letter to FIFA, FA support Rooney's view and point out the striker was being fouled in the run-up to the flashpoint.

July 6: Lennart Johansson, UEFA president and head of FIFA's World Cup organising committee, claims Elizondo "was

absolutely right to send him (Rooney) off".

July 8: Wayne Rooney suspended for two matches and fined £2400.