Barcelona footballer Messi loses appeal in tax fraud trial

Spain's Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Barcelona football star Lionel Messi over his 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud.

The five-times World Player of the Year is unlikely to go to prison, however.

Messi and his father Jorge were found guilty by a Catalan court last July on three counts of tax fraud between 2007 and 2009 to the tune of €4.1 million ($12.4 million) on image rights.

The pair were also fined €2 million ($6 million).

The court reduced Jorge Messi's sentence from 21 months to 15, however, for returning the defrauded amount to Spain's tax authority.

Neither Messi nor his father are expected to serve time in jail, as under Spanish law sentences under two years can be served under probation.

A court statement said Messi "unequivocally understood his obligation to pay tax on income obtained from exploiting his image rights... therefore it is not logical that he should ignore his duty to pay tax on them".

The Supreme Court's ruling brings an end to a case which began in 2013.

Messi, 29, and his father defrauded the Spanish tax office between 2007 and 2009 by using a web of shell companies based in Belize, Switzerland and Uruguay to evade taxes on income from the player's image rights.

Messi, who has won eight La Liga titles, four King's Cups and four Champions League crowns with Barcelona, finished top scorer in Spain this season with 37 league goals.

He is set to play in the King's Cup final next Saturday in Madrid, the last game of the domestic season.

Messi is Barcelona's all-time top scorer and their highest paid player. He is expected to sign a new contract with the Catalan club later this summer, with his current deal expiring in June 2018.

Barcelona, who last year released a statement in support of Messi following his guilty sentence and launched a campaign in support of him on social media, have not yet commented on the Supreme Court's decision.