Cristiano Ronaldo is being accused of tax evasion for 14.7 million euros.
Photo by:
Ben Queenborough
SANTA MONICA – Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the biggest names in the world of soccer. He has scored over 600 career goals and was named as the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation, many even consider him to be the best player in the world. However, instead of the usual media buzz about his game winning goal, the soccer star is now making headlines about something else entirely.
Ronaldo, who made over 90 million dollars last year and is currently the highest paid person in sports in the entire world according to Forbes, has been accused of defrauding Spanish authorities of almost 15 million euros. It is an offense that carries a hefty fine and the possibility of jail time. The authorities believe that Ronaldo intentionally did not declare his full income and allegedly hid some of his income in an offshore account.
If found guilty, Ronaldo would just be the latest in a string of soccer players evading taxes. One of soccer’s other most famous stars: Lionel Messi, was found guilty of tax evasion just last year. However, since it was Messi’s first offense and the sentence was under two years long, he likely will not serve any time. Argentine player Javier Mashero also got into legal trouble for tax evasion last year.
The investigation into Ronaldo is still in the beginning stages and it will likely take years to conclude.
Ronaldo is considered by many to be the best soccer player in the world.
Photo by: Howard C. Smith
Photos by ISI.
