Messi loses appeal against 21-month tax fraud sentence

Argentine Lionel Messi has lost his appeal against a 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud.

Spain’s supreme court on Wednesday ratified the prison sentence handed to Messi.

The Argentine star’s sentenced was reduced in July 2016 but he chose to appeal the decision. along with his father Jorge who was given the same punishment only got

He filed the appeal alongside his father Jorge who was given the same punishment.

Under Spanish laws, a prison sentence under two years can be served on probation, meaning Messi and his father are unlikely to go to jail.

The court ordered Messi to pay a fine of around 2 million euros ($2.21 million) while his father was fined 1.5 million euros for defrauding Spanish authorities between 2007 and 2009 by not paying tax on image rights earnings.