MADRID: Lionel Messi has lost his Supreme Court appeal over a tax-fraud conviction in Spain.

The court confirmed on Wednesday the 21-month prison sentence handed to Messi for defrauding tax authorities of 4.1 million euros ($4.6 million) of income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.

The five-time World Player of the Year is unlikely to go to prison, however, because sentences of less than two years for first offences are usually suspended in Spain.

The court maintained the 2 million euro ($2.24 million) fine handed to the Argentina player in last year’s trial.

Messi’s father, Jorge Horacio Messi, also had been convicted of tax fraud, but the court reduced his sentence from 21 months to 15 months because he cooperated by returning the defrauded money to the tax authorities.

He also is not expected to face prison time.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2017