Leo Messi, widely considered the world's finest soccer player, is decidedly less adept at paying his taxes, according to reports. The Barcelona star is facing tax fraud charges.
According to reports, Messi, his father and their financial advisors are being questioned about re-routing image rights revenue through offshore accounts to avoid Spanish taxation.
Raquel Amado, the prosecutor in Messi's case, said the footballer "obtained significant revenue derived from the transfer to third parties of his image rights, income which should have been taxed."
La Vanguardia, a Spanish newspaper, is reporting that Messi recently made a € 10 million payment that supposedly covers his image rights revenue from 2010 to 2011. The paper also suggests this is an indication that Messi and the government are working toward a plan to cover an additional € 4.1 million that he earned from 2007 through 2009.
If Messi was convicted of the accused fraud he could face up to five years imprisonment as well as a € 24.6 million. Jorge Messi, Leo Messi's father called the charges cruel and false. He also said his son has paid € 10 million each year and has been fully compliant with Spain's tax laws.
If Messi were to earn prison time on a tax fraud conviction, it would shake the soccer world to its core. Messi is considered the best in the sport and one of the finest players to ever grace the pitch. He has won four straight FIFA Player of the Year awards and also checked in at 10th on Forbes highest-paid athletes list.
In the past two seasons Messi has scored a whopping 133 goals and has helped Barcelona take home four Spanish league titles in the last five years. Other Spanish soccer stars who have run into tax trouble include Luis Figo, who was forced to fork over € 2.45 million for image rights revenue, and female player Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.
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