World’s best footballer, Argentine star Lionel Messi and his father Jorge Horacio are battling to clear their name after being accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5.3 million).

The World Player of the Year and his father Jorge allegedly filed fraudulent tax returns for the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, according to a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office for tax crimes in Catalonia.

The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that via a complex web of shell companies in Uruguay, Belize, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, income from the sale of Messi’s image rights was effectively hidden from the Spanish authorities.

The pair could face up to four years in jail if found guilty, according to Spanish law.

Messi, who turns 26 this month, is one of the world’s highest paid athletes with a salary of just over $20 million a season, according to Forbes magazine.

Aside from his Barcelona wages, he earns around $21 million in endorsements from sponsors such as Adidas, PepsiCo and P&G.

Messi and his father have however denied wrongdoing. The fleet-footed wizard who gained Spanish citizenship in 2005 said Wednesday on his Facebook page:

“We learned about the action begun by the Spanish prosecutor through the media. It is something that surprises us because we have never committed any offence.

“We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations following the advice of our tax consultants, who will take care of clarifying this situation.”

•Photo shows Messi.