Messi to stand trial for tax fraud after failed appeal

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A court in Barcelona has rejected Lionel Messi's appeal against three charges of tax fraud.

Lionel Messi is to stand trial for tax fraud after having an appeal rejected by a Barcelona court.

Barcelona superstar Messi and his father and agent, Jorge Horacio Messi, stand accused of having defrauded authorities of €4.1million between 2007 and 2009.

The Argentina captain's rights are alleged to have been sold by Jorge using companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid Spanish tax obligations.

Last October it was determined that Messi would have to stand trial as he could have known about the alleged impropriety despite pleas that his father was responsible for the family's finances, a decision he immediately appealed.

Messi and his father have also made a payment of just over €5m to the authorities.

But, after seeing his appeal thrown out by the Barcelona Provincial High Court on Wednesday, Messi remains under investigation for three counts of tax fraud.