Soccer Football - FC Barcelona vs Sevilla - Copa del Rey Final - Vicente Calderon, Madrid, Spain - 22/5/16 Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after winning the Copa del Rey Final Reuters / Sergio Perez Livepic
MADRID (Reuters) - The trial of Lionel Messi on charges of tax evasion opened in Barcelona on Tuesday, but injury prevented soccer's five-times World Player of the Year from attending. The Barcelona star will be in court on Thursday to testify.
Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, are accused by the Spanish tax office of defrauding the government of 4.2 million euros ($4.7 million) between 2007 and 2009. They could face jail terms of up to 22 months if found guilty.
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