Footballer Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after a Barcelona Court has found him guilty of three counts of tax fraud
The footballer's father, Jorge Messi, was also given a 21-month prison term.
However, they are unlikely to go to jail as under Spanish law, a prison sentence under two years can be served under probation.
The court has ordered Messi to pay a fine of €2m (£1.7m) and his father to pay €1.5m. At FC Barcelona, Messi currently has a salary of £26m.
The player and his father, who manages his finances, were accused of defrauding the Spanish state of €4.16m in unpaid tax between 2007 and 2009 by using offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay to hide earnings.
Messi’s lawyers say he was unaware of what was being done with his earnings.
