Lionel Messi cleared of tax fraud

Prosecutors in Spain have dropped charges against Barcelona star Lionel Messi - but are still pursuing their case against his father Jorge.

The Argentina forward and his father were accused of defrauding Spanish authorities to the tune of £3.1million. If found guilty, Messi senior could face 18 months in prison, and a fine of almost £1.5million.

Prosecutors have alleged that Jorge used offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying tax on his son's earnings between 2007 and 2009.

But authorities say Leo no longer has any charges to answer.

"It is not plausible to think that his unawareness of events was intentional, or carried out seeking to defraud the Public Treasury," the ruling explained.

In June, the high court in Barcelona ruled Messi should not be granted impunity for not knowing how his finances were being used, but he will now no longer face charges.

Messi and his father made a 'corrective' payment of €5million in August 2013, equal to the sum in unpaid tax plus interest.

The income relates to Messi's image rights, which include deals with companies such as Adidas and Pepsi.