A Spanish court sentenced Messi on July 6, 2016 to 21 months in jail for tax fraud. (AFP/LLUIS GENE)
A Spanish court sentenced Messi on July 6, 2016 to 21 months in jail for tax fraud. (AFP/LLUIS GENE)
A Spanish court sentenced Messi on July 6, 2016 to 21 months in jail for tax fraud. (AFP/LLUIS GENE)
A Spanish court sentenced Messi on July 6, 2016 to 21 months in jail for tax fraud. (AFP/LLUIS GENE)

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Lionel Messi and father receive jail sentence in Spain for tax fraud

Lionel Messi and father sentenced to 21 months for tax fraud but will not have to go to prison.

Reuters

July 06, 2016

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Barcelona soccer star Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after a court in Barcelona found him guilty of three counts of tax fraud, a statement from the court said on Wednesday.

The court also sentenced the Argentine footballer’s father, Jorge, to 21 months in prison for the same three crimes. The sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court, the statement said.

However, under Spanish law a prison sentence under two years can be served under probation, meaning Mr Messi and his father are unlikely to go to jail.

The court ordered Mr Messi to pay a fine of around €2 million euros (Dh 8.13 million) and his father to pay €1.5m euros for the crimes

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