Spanish court exchanges Messi's 21-month prison sentence for fine

A wedding in South America, and a fine in Europe.

As Reuters explained, a Spanish court said Friday the 21-month prison sentence handed to Lionel Messi for tax fraud has been exchanged for a €250,000 fine. A 15-month sentence for the Argentinian footballer's father, Jorge Horacio Messi, has also been replaced by a €180,000 fine.

In July 2016, Messi and his father were each sentenced to 21 months in prison by a court in Barcelona - Jorge's was later reduced - after being found guilty of three counts of tax fraud committed from 2007-09. Specifically, the court found evidence that they used companies in countries such as Uruguay, Switzerland, and Belize to conceal earnings from image rights, defrauding the Spanish tax authority of €4.1 million. Messi declared he "knew nothing" about his financial affairs, while his father stated he was told the practice was legal by an adviser.

The Supreme Court of Spain, the highest court in the country, rejected an appeal in May, standing by the original sentence.

In Spain, sentences of under two years are usually suspended for defendants without a previous conviction.