Lionel Messi and father sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud

Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison, but likely won’t have to face any jail time.

El Espanol report the Barcelona striker has been found guilty of breaching three tax offences, which total around £3.5m in the years 2007, 2008 and 2009.

However, as Spanish law indicates that a sentence under two years can be served as probation, Messi is unlikely to spend any time in jail.

His father Jorge Messi was also given a 21-month sentence initially, but he has seen that reduced to 15 months.

Jorge was originally ordered to pay a fine of £1.3m, but that has been reduced to £1.1m.