How much did Lionel Messi owe the Spanish Treasury?

One of Lionel Messi’s biggest scandals happened off the field.

How did the Argentine player avoid going to jail?

Find out how much he owed the Spanish Treasury.

How much did Lionel Messi owe the Spanish Treasury? The Argentine soccer player is one of the biggest stars in the sport. He recently helped his team win the World Cup in Qatar.

According to Spanish tax authorities, Lionel Messi’s problems with the Treasury began in 2005, when the Argentine was just 17 years old and his career was taking off with the Barcelona club. He signed a contract for more than $500 million in 2017. But, how much did Messi have to pay the Spanish Treasury? Find out all the details!

Messi’s debt to the Spanish Treasury: The beginnings

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In 2005, Lionel Messi’s career was taking off both on the Argentine national team and with the Barcelona club. Behind the scenes, the most important brands in the world tried to sign the player to represent them. This created a conflict because he was not yet of legal age so his tax obligations were subject to the decisions of his representative, who in this case was his father.

In that same year, Messi signed a contract ceding all rights to his image to a company based in Belize. However, this is what started Messi’s problems with the Spanish Treasury, since his mother ceded the rights to other companies in countries such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Uruguay, where the tax laws did not allow for double taxation.

What was the problem that triggered it all?

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Messi’s Treasury debt became a true nightmare for the player, who had stood out for leading a scandal-free life. Given this, his defense maintained his innocence at all times, alleging that Messi was still a minor when the debt was incurred and was unaware of the legal decisions that his representatives had made in his name.

Jail is one of the main risks of tax evasion, since a conviction of this type meant at least two years in prison. Messi’s main problem was that his declared assets did not match his million-dollar contracts.

Messi’s trial?

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The Treasury investigations against Messi, his father and the shell companies with which they allegedly evaded taxes began in 2013. Three years later they faced trial for tax fraud. Although Messi’s defense tried by all means to explain the player’s innocence, the Spanish courts did not exempt him from his responsibilities, declaring that his ignorance was willful and not an excuse.

After determining that Messi and his father had used tax havens to hide their money, the Spanish Treasury determined Messi’s debt was at least $4.2 million.

Messi’s father and his role in the lawsuit

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Messi’s Treasury debt finally came to $1.4 million in fines, for him, and $1.7 million for his father. The Argentine player always expressed total confidence in his father decisions, declaring before the courts and before the media that he «only dedicated himself to playing soccer».

Despite having been sentenced to spend 21 months in prison, Messi complied with all of the court’s stipulations and avoided jail. This ended one of the darkest stages in Lionel’s Messi’s career and served as a warning to other athletes and celebrities about the legal risks of tax havens.