2) Getting convicted for tax fraud
Fast forward to July 2016 Messi has come a long way in his domestic career. But something else was brewing in the background, something the Argentine claimed he was not aware off.
In 2013, reports started to surface that Messi was involved in tax evasion. The Spanish authorities claimed Messi and his father had failed to pay taxes of €4.1 million. The amount was reportedly accumulated since 2006 when Messi wasn’t old enough to handle his finances.
Trending
In the next two years, the trial continued to proceed despite appeals to only prosecute Messi’s father. The court also received a recommendation that charges be dropped against the little maestro but they fell on deaf ears.
In 2016 as you already know Messi received a 21-month jail sentence after being found guilty of tax fraud and his father also received a prison term. It was a shocking revelation for the whole world as fans of the sport struggled to believe their hero was not the golden boy they thought him to be.
