Lionel Messi sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud
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On Wednesday, a Spanish court sentenced Lionel Messi to 21 months in prison for three counts of tax fraud, The Associated Press reports. The famous Argentina and Barcelona soccer player is accused alongside his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, of avoiding taxation on more than 4 million euros between 2007 and 2009 by setting up tax havens in Uruguay and Belize.
During the trial, Lionel Messi said he wasn't aware of what was happening with his finances. "I was playing football; I had no idea about anything. I trusted my dad and my lawyers," he said. Both men will likely avoid jail time due to a Spanish regulation that says terms shorter than two years can be served through probation. But they also face fines of millions of euros.