Messi to Face Tax Fraud Charges in Spain

A Barcelona court has thrown out an appeal lodged by the lawyers of Lionel Messi, paving the way for the Barcelona FC forward to stand trial for alleged tax fraud. If convicted, he will spend not less than 5 years in jail.

In a decision made public on Wednesday, the provincial high court in Barcelona said it believed there was evidence that Messi – whether knowingly or not – benefited from a complex network of companies that kept €4.1m (£3m) from Spanish tax authorities between 2007 and 2009.

The authorities have accused Messi’s father, Jorge Horacio Messi, of selling the footballer’s image rights using shell companies in Uruguay, Belize, Switzerland and the UK to avoid reporting earnings in Spain. The scheme allegedly began when Messi was a minor. Both Messi and his father have denied any wrongdoing.