Lionel Messi jail sentence upheld in tax fraud case

Barcelona and Argentina football star Lionel Messi has had a 21-month jail sentence upheld following an appeal against his tax fraud conviction.

Messi and his father Jorge were handed jail terms for defrauding the Spanish taxpayer of €4.1m, but neither are expected to go to prison. Jail sentences in Spain can be served under probation if they amount to less than two years.

The Barcelona forward denied during the 2016 trial having any involvement in the fraud, insisting that his father handled all his financial affairs.

The Spanish Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the footballer's defence was insufficient.

Messi and his father Jorge were handed jail terms for defrauding the Spanish taxpayer of €4.1m

In the ruling, the court said Messi "decided to remain ignorant the whole time, keeping himself away from information that could have been relevant," while his version of events had "no credibility".

"The information the accused avoided was realistically and readily available to him," the ruling added.

Messi has already repaid the millions of euros in taxes, and will be fined a further €2.1m for his actions.

The decision caps a disappointing season for one of the sport’s most decorated players, who was unable to guide the Catalan club to a major trophy after falling to rivals Real Madrid in the league and being knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.