Messi was given the jail term last July after being found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, with it being ruled he had defrauded Spain of €4.1million between 2007 and 2009.

Court documents show the 29 year-old has lost his appeal to the Spanish Supreme Court, with the sentence issued by a Catalan court being confirmed.

Messi will not face time in jail because, according to Spanish law, sentences for non-violent offences under two years in duration can be served under probation and the forward has no previous criminal convictions.