Spanish Court Orders Tax Fraud Investigation Against Lionel Messi to Continue
A Spanish court has ruled that the investigation into alleged tax fraud involving Lionel Messi must proceed, despite an earlier recommendation by prosecutors to drop the case.
The decision, announced on Monday, rejects a move by the Barcelona public prosecutor to dismiss the case, which concerns suspicions that the Barcelona forward and his father, Jorge Messi, evaded taxes by using offshore companies to manage image rights revenue between 2006 and 2009.
Prosecutors had previously argued that it was “certainly credible” that Messi was unaware of the financial arrangements handled by his father. However, the court determined that the player “could have been aware” of the fraud and may have “consented to it.”
Messi, who recently won the Ballon d’Or at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, has denied any wrongdoing, along with his father. Both maintain their innocence in the face of the accusations.
The Argentine star, who resides in Barcelona, has become one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. According to Forbes, he earned an estimated $64.7 million (approximately €47.3 million) over the past year, moving from tenth to fourth on the magazine’s global rich list for athletes.
The case is expected to continue in the coming months, with both Messi and his father under scrutiny as Spanish authorities intensify their clampdown on tax evasion in football.
