<
>

Our all-star soccer team of accused tax evaders

ESPN Illustration

Hate doing your taxes? Turns out, so do many of Europe's elite soccer players. In fact, so many have been caught offside by the taxman that we put together an all-star team of world-beaters who've been called out. Any takers?

Forward: Radamel Falcao

The Colombian was slapped with a $10.6M fine and a 16-month jail sentence for hiding $6.4M. (In Spain, sentences under two years for first-time offenses are not served.)

Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo

While avoiding a sexual assault investigation in the U.S., CR7 did appear in a Madrid court to accept a $21.8M fine and a 23-month sentence for $17.7M worth of tax fraud.

Forward: Neymar

One of his three brushes with the law in Brazil and Spain is a $20M tax evasion charge that led a Brazilian court to freeze $62M of his assets. He was ultimately "cleared" ... but fined $1.2M.

Midfielder: Lionel Messi

A Spanish judge had no sympathy for Messi's plea of ignorance, saying that even children know taxes are paid in full. He got a 21-month sentence and paid back about $20M.

Midfielder: James Rodriguez

After the Colombian star fought charges that he owed Spain $13.6M in taxes, the government backed down -- as long as James, now in Germany, agreed to pay $4.5M in fines.

Midfielder: Luka Modric

The Croatian doesn't just have the Ballon d'Or in common with Messi and Ronaldo: After a great World Cup last summer, he received an eight- month sentence in Spain for hiding $1M.

Midfielder: Angel di Maria

Now in France, he was hit with a one-year sentence and a $2.2M fine in Spain for evading $1.4M in taxes. Maybe he's just channeling his bureaucracy-hating doppelgänger, Kafka.

Defender: Marcelo

Real Madrid's left-back agreed to a four-month sentence and paid $1.4M in back taxes and a fine for secreting away $576K. Is that why his hair is so big?

Defender: Gerard Pique

The Barcelona mainstay has been accused but not convicted of owing the Spanish taxman $2.8M. Chump change compared to partner Shakira, who's on the hook for $16.4M!

Defender: Javier Mascherano

Like former teammate Messi, the Barcelona utility man blamed a lack of understanding of the tax system for his failure to pay $1.7M. He got a one-year sentence and paid back $2.5M.

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas

Dubbed Saint Iker for his spectacular saves, the former Real Madrid and Spain captain settled with his government for $2.2M in 2014. Not one of his saintlier moves.

Manager: Jose Mourinho

Who else but the Special One? In February, Mou agreed to a $2.5M fine and a one-year sentence for hiding money in offshore accounts during his time helming Real Madrid.