Lionel Messi is known for escaping defenders on the soccer field. But he was not able to escape a conviction for tax fraud in Spain this week. A court in Barcelona, Spain, sentenced the Argentinian soccer star to 21 months in prison on Wednesday. Messi plays for Barcelona’s soccer team during the club season. He is the five-time winner of FIFA’s player of the year award. Investigators in Spain said they found evidence that Messi and his father, Jorge, hid money that should have been taxed by the Spanish government. The younger Messi earned the money from 2007 to 2009. Tax inspectors said over $4 million of Messi’s money went to accounts in Uruguay, Switzerland and Belize. Messi was fined over $2 million. His father was fined about $1.5 million.
