Barcelona's Lionel Messi 'pays £4.2m to Spanish authorities'

Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his father Jorge have reportedly paid £4.2m to the Spanish authorities following allegations of tax fraud.

The pair were accused in June of filing false tax returns in 2007, 2008 and 2009, amounting to £3.4m.

It is understood that a court statement on Wednesday revealed that the pair had paid a sum to the authorities last month as a "corrective payment", according to the Daily Mail.

The pair were due to appear in court for a hearing on September 17, but their lawyer is said to have asked for the date to be postponed due to a prior commitment.