The Argentine and his father Jorge Messi are due to appear in court on Friday morning in the coastal town of Gava near Barcelona, where the player resides, accused of evading tax on Messi's image rights to the tune of 4.16 million euros ($5 million, £3.5 million) between 2006 and 2009.

Despite the looming court case, Messi's form on the field has scarcely been affected with the Barcelona forward scoring 10 goals in just seven matches this season as the Spanish champions remain unbeaten.