Barcelona star Lionel Messi could reportedly be sent to jail for six years if he is found guilty of tax fraud.

The Argentina international and his father Jorge Horacio have been hit with a lawsuit by a state prosecutor claiming that the pair filed fraudulent tax returns in 2007, 2008 and 2009, amounting to £3.4m.

The FIFA Ballon d'Or winner could be issued with a substantial fine and six-year jail term if the allegations are proved true, according to Spanish news agency EFE.

The lawsuit has been submitted for trial in Gava.