Lionel Messi will stand in a tax fraud case, a court has ruled, in the latest twist to an on-going tax investigation that has been troubling the Barcelona superstar for years now.

Messi and his father, Jorge, have been accused by investigators of avoiding taxes worth over €4 million (AU $6.25 million) between 2007 and 2009, earned from various image rights payments made to Messi. Prosecutors claim the money was instead directed into accounts in various tax-havens in the U.K, Belize, Switzerland and Uruguay. All of Lionel Messi’s tax affairs have been handled by his father Jorge, however, and not the player himself.

Just earlier this week, prosecutors had claimed they would not be pursuing any punishment for the Barcelona and Argentina superstar while the case would still further proceed against Jorge Messi, but the judge in charge of the case has now dismissed the prosecutors’ requests and the player will now stand trial, going by the request of the state attorney instead, who requested that Messi be charged with three counts of tax evasion.

Both Jorge and Lionel Messi face up to 22 months in jail, although a suspended prison sentence and/or a heavy fine is more likely. Messi’s lawyers continue to maintain that the player never analysed the contracts himself, leaving all the business details to his father instead. Lionel Messi has already made corrective payments of €5 million (AU $8 million), but further penalties are likely.

"There are rational signs that the criminality was committed by both accused parties," wrote the judge in a court filing, according to an AFP press release.

"The Public Prosecution Office did not accuse the Argentine of any tax crime, but rather extensively explained the reasons why he should not be charged. The State Legal Service is contradicting the Public Prosecution Office's request and judgement. In the coming weeks, Leo Messi's defence lawyers will have the opportunity to make their case ahead of the trial and to submit the evidence that they deem appropriate, corroborating that the Public Prosecution Office's position about not charging Messi [Jr] is correct," Lionel Messi Management said in a statement to the press.

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