Lionel Messi Pays £4.2m ‘corrective payment’ in Tax Evasion Case

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has paid £4.2m (€5m) to the Spanish authorities as a ‘corrective payment’ in his tax evasion case.

Allegations against the Argentinian and his father Jorge were made in June, stating that the 26-year old had established ‘a complex network of companies based in Britain, Switzerland, Belize and Uruguay’ to hide his true earnings.

The court in Gava has now confirmed that both men made a payment of just over €5m in August, but they are still required to appear in court on September 17.

That date could be moved as Messi’s lawyer requested a change due to Barcelona’s match with Ajax the day after.

A report in Spanish paper El País said that Jorge may assume full responsibility of the tax fraud, thus ‘exonerating’ the footballer.