Lionel Messi and father lose appeal over £1.7m fine and 21-month prison sentence

5-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi and his father have lost their appeal against a 21-month prison sentence and £3.05 million.

Messi was found guilty by a Barcelona court last July on three counts of tax fraud between 2007 and 2009 which resulted in a 21-month prison sentence and payment penalty of £3.05 million (Messi £1.75m and his father, £1.3m)

Messi would not have to serve the jail term as according to Spanish law, "any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time."