Wednesday, 12th June, 2013
Lionel Messi and his father are under investigation from prosecutors in Spain for allegedly defrauding the state of more than €4m in tax irregularities.
The allegations relate to Lionel and his father Jorge filing fraudulent tax returns for the time period between 2007 and 2009, according to officials.
The four-time Ballon d’Or winner is yet to respond to the allegations, which emerged less than 24 hours after he made a substitute appearance in Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Ecuador.
The match, which also saw Argentina captain Javier Mascherano sent offfor apparently kicking a medical cart driver, finished 1-1.
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La Albiceleste currently lead the standings in the South American qualifying group with 26 points, three ahead of second-placed Colombia, who have a game in hand.
Messi was recently declared as the second-highest paid footballer on the planet for the year 2012/13 – behind former England captain David Beckham – with the Barcelona star earning €35m from both his salary and sponsorship deals.
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