Soccer's five-times World Player of the Year Lionel Messi should be acquitted on tax evasion charges against him, Spain's public prosecutors' office said on Friday as the trial drew to a close. Neither Messi nor his father Jorge Horacio Messi attended the hearing in a Barcelona court where closing arguments were given. Both are accused by the Spanish tax office of defrauding the government of 4.2 million euros ($4.8 million) between 2007 and 2009 but have denied any wrongdoing. Speaking on whether or not Lionel Messi was aware of the alleged fraud, state prosecutor Raquel Amado said: "There is no evidence that anyone explained it to him ... the prosecutor sustains that Lionel Andres Messi should be acquitted."
"It's a beautiful thing that many people outside Argentina want us to be champions and that it's largely because of me," Messi said.
Messi hit back last week, saying he was tired of being blamed for problems at Barcelona.
Messi, who scored 37 times in La Liga last season, has been at Barcelona since the age of 13, rising through their youth system to become one of the most successful and recognisable footballers in the world.
La Liga returned to action after a long hiatus and during Barcelona's first game after the resumption, Messi struck a brilliant goal, helping his side clinch a 4-0 win against Mallorca.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi was at the centre of a headbutting controversy.
The only goal of the game came from a clever cross by Lionel Messi although Barca's captain was kept unusually quiet for the remainder, after being left with a bloodied face from a clash with United's Chris Smalling.
Leeds sack Gracia, Allardyce to step in till season ends
'Messi's departure is a move that helps Florentino. Imagine that (Kylian) Mbappe now signs for Real Madrid.'
The French and English sides, two of European football's most powerful and richest clubs, will compete for the honour of being the first champions of FIFA's expanded competition, created with the promise of revolutionising club football and as a glittering curtain-raiser for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
A Spanish court said on Friday it has exchanged a 21-month prison sentence handed to Soccer player Lionel Messi for tax fraud last July for a quarter-of-a-million-euro fine.
Images from the Copa America semi-final between Argentina and Canada at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
Praise comes in from all quarters as Argentine breaks Raul's Champions League record.
A new chapter in the celebrated rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will unfurl on Thursday when they meet in an exhibition match as the Portugal forward gears up for his first game in Saudi Arabia since joining Al Nassr.
Zero women cracked the list of the world's 100 highest-paid athletes released on Wednesday by Sportico.
The Argentina captain turns 31 in a few days and may be playing his last World Cup. He would need to win it to rival fellow great Diego Maradona for the eternal love of his compatriots.
La Liga club Barcelona have expressed their support for Argentine striker Lionel Messi and his father after the Spanish Supreme Court upheld their prison sentences over tax fraud charges, although neither are expected to go to jail.
'To see a player that I have always followed, who is an example for me, to see him leave now brings me a lot of pain.'
He is the youngest player to debut and score for Spain and in LaLiga, the Champions League and the Euros. He also holds the records for youngest player in a Clasico and youngest scorer in both the Super Cup and Copa del Rey.
Messi brace leads Barca to within four points of La Liga summit
Argentina are on a 36-match unbeaten run with top scorer and captain Messi playing his fifth and last World Cup in search of the elusive honour
The Portuguese star is set to earn $125 million before taxes in the 2021-22 season, with $70 million coming from salary and bonus after his return to United.
Messi announced he wanted to leave Barcelona, on Tuesday, after spending his entire career at the Catalan club.
Wearing a T-shirt that read "This is Paris," Messi beamed and waved at scores of fans who had come to greet him at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of the French capital after his flight from Barcelona.
Mateo has inherited great goal-scoring skills from his father.
Fan tokens are a type of cryptocurrency that allow holders to vote on mostly minor decisions related to their clubs and like bitcoin and other digital currencies, fan tokens can be traded on exchanges
Lionel Messi spoke for the great and the good of world soccer, not to mention millions of grassroots fans, when he acclaimed Leicester City's extraordinary Premier League triumph by tweeting: "The reason why we all love football. Congratulations"
Reuters television footage showed players arriving for the session which began at 1730 local time (1530 GMT) and Messi did not appear.
Pope Francis is known to be a football fan, and he is also a club member of Buenos Aires side San Lorenzo.
Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at comments made by Ballon d'Or organiser Pascal Ferre, saying the editor-in-chief of France Football "lied" about his rivalry with Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi scored and grabbed two assists as La Liga leaders Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win away to struggling Real Mallorca on Saturday, making the perfect return to action after Spanish football's three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The win takes Barca on to 61 points after 28 games, five clear of nearest challengers Real Madrid, who host Eibar on Sunday in their first game back.
Diego Maradona says Lionel Messi's second-half penalty miss was not the reason Argentina failed to defeat Iceland at the World Cup on Saturday.
Messi opened the scoring at the Nou Camp with an audacious chipped penalty then restored control in the tie after Lyon had pulled a goal back to make it 2-1, hitting a decisive third goal after a trademark dazzling run to shake off four defenders.
Barcelona legend Xavi believes nobody will ever be able to replace his former teammate Lionel Messi with respect to his abilities and achievements. Comparing the Argentine with Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi said that Messi was way above the Portugal's Euro 2016 winner. The 36-year old said, "There will be many good players in the future but no one would come close to Messi's level, when he eventually decides to call it quits."
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was ruled out of their Club World Cup semi-final on Thursday after suffering from abdominal pain, the European champions said.
Barcelona and Bayern fought hard but failed to break the shackles until the 77th minute in the match when Messi struck the first and three minutes later struck his 77th Champions League goal to double Barca's advantage.
The Argentine forward's glittering resume has one major omission -- a World Cup winner's medal.
It will be difficult for Lionel Messi to remain at Barcelona after he made public his desire to leave the Spanish club, his father and agent Jorge Messi said on Wednesday as he arrived in the city to negotiate his son's future.
The Argentine then lifted his shirt to reveal a red and black replica kit of his hometown club Newell's Old Boys bearing the number 10 which Maradona wore during his brief spell at the Rosario side in 1993.
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