( CNN ) -- Soccer star Lionel Messi must appear in court on September 17 to face possible charges of tax fraud , prosecutors in Spain said Thursday . The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi are suspected of defrauding Spanish tax authorities of more than $ 5 million between 2006 and 2009 . They deny the charges . A judge will decide after the hearing whether to go ahead with the case , which is being held in a town near Barcelona -- where Messi has lived since moving from his native Argentina as a teenager . Messi , who turns 26 next Monday , is 10th on the list of the world 's highest-paid athletes as compiled by business magazine Forbes with earnings of $ 41 million . According to the papers filed on June 12 by prosecutor Raquel Amado in Gava , a seaside resort close to Barcelona where Messi lives , it is alleged that they tried to avoid paying taxes in Spain by selling the player 's image rights through overseas companies . His club Barcelona said it was not involved , as the image rights payments are independent of the reported $ 20 million yearly salary he receives from the Spanish champion team . Messi used his Facebook website page to deny the charges earlier this month . `` We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities , '' read the statement in Spanish and English . `` We are surprised about the news , because we have never committed any infringement . `` We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations , following the advice of our tax consultants , who will take care of clarifying this situation . '' Messi joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 , and has won six Primera Liga titles , three European Champions League crowns . Last year he scored an unprecedented 86 goals for club and country . CNN 's Laura Perez Maestro contributed to this report .
Spanish court rules that Lionel Messi and his father must testify in tax case . The Barcelona soccer star denies all allegations of wrongdoing . He is accused by Spanish tax authorities of handing in fraudulent returns . The Argentine is said to owe $ 5 million relating to image rights revenue .