Barcelona FC superstar Lionel Messi could face up to 6 years in jail for tax fraud.

According Spanish news agency EFE , Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team, Lionel Messi has been accused of tax fraud to the tune of £3.4million and faces up to six years in jail if he is found guilty.

A lawsuit was lodged against the 25-year-old football star and his father by a state prosecutor for the north eastern region of Catalonia.

Both Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio, are accused of three offences against the public purse for allegedly defrauding more than £3.4m in income tax returns relating to the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. 

A judge at the courthouse must accept the prosecutor's lawsuit before charges can be brought.

The complaint was submitted for trial in Gava, the upscale Barcelona district where Messi lives.