Football Star Lionel Messi Handed Jail Term in Spain for Tax Fraud

Weeks after his retirement from the international football, Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud. His father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.5m) between 2007 and 2009.

They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights.

However, neither man is expected to serve time in jail. The sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court. Under the Spanish system, prison terms of under two years can be served under probation.

The footballer and his father were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud in Wednesday’s ruling by the court in Barcelona.

As well as the jail terms, Messi was fined about €2m and his father €1.5m. They made a voluntary €5m “corrective payment”, equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest, in August 2013.

I knew nothing’, Messi tells court

During the trial, Lionel Messi insisted he “knew nothing” about the management of his financial affairs, saying his father dealt with them while he was “playing football”. For his part, Jorge Messi claimed he did not have enough knowledge to orchestrate such a fraud, blaming his tax consultants instead.

Lionel Messi retired from international football late last month. He has won the Fifa World Player of the Year five times and is one of the richest athletes in the world. Lionel Messi has retired from international duty after missing in a penalty shootout as Argentina lost a fourth major final in nine years.

“For me, the national team is over,” he said after defeat by Chile in the Copa America final. “I’ve done all I can. It hurts not to be a champion.”

Messi, 29, has won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues with Spanish side Barcelona.

But his only major international honour is Olympic gold at the 2008 Games.

As well as losing two Copa America finals on penalties to Chile, Messi was in the Argentina side beaten 1-0 by Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.

The forward, who has been awarded the Ballon d’Or five times, was also on the losing side against Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final.