Barcelona star Lionel Messi sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud: reports
Barcelona FC and Argentina striker Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax evasion, but he is unlikely to spend any time behind bars, according to media reports. His father, Jorge Messi, was also sentenced to 21 months of prison time for defrauding Spain 4.1 million euros ($4.54 million) in taxes between 2007 and 2009. However, under Spanish law any sentence under two years can be served under probation, so the Barcelona player is unlikely to go to prison, according to the reports. Messi said during the trial he "knew nothing" about his tax affairs and was just "playing football".
