As it's difficult to stop Lionel Messi on the pitch, even if he is currently injured, some people try to put the brakes on him with non-sporting matters. In recent months there has been plenty said about him, and the Argentine and his family have decided enough is enough and gone on the attack. They have taken the decision to take legal action against 'El Mundo'.

Sport EN

According to Cadena Cope, the player, his family and his representatives have released a press release relating to the "article which appeared in the newspaper El Mundo on September 29, 2015, suggesting the FC Barcelona and Argentina player Lionel Messi committed a tax offence in relation to the charity matches organised by the Leo Messi Foundation between 2012 and 2013 under the name: Messi and friends vs. the rest of the world."

The communication consists of four points. The first makes it clear that never Leo, his father nor the Foundation, which carries the Barça's player's name, "have never been part of any criminal proceedings or proceedings of any other nature in relation to the organisation of these charity matches and/or the income derived from them."

In the second point they point out that neither Leo nor the Foundation received any money for the organisation of these matches. Thirdly, they consider "there is no legal or judicial [evidence] to continue insisting on linking the player" with the above mentioned tax offences.

And the fourth and final point communicates that "the player and those closes to him will not tolerate this journalism that tries to associate him with false stories that go directly against his reputation. Therefore, the lawyer Gonçalves Pereira will lead legal action [against El Mundo] to guarantee [Messi's] honour and integrity is upkept."