Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi has been accused by prosecutors in Spain of failing to pay 4m euros (£3.4m) in income tax.

The Argentinian international and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, allegedly submitted fraudulent tax returns for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, the striker has denied any wrongdoing.

“We have just (heard) through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities,” the statement said.

“We are surprised about (this) because we have never committed any infringement.

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

A complaint, signed by state prosecutor Raquel Amado and submitted for trial at a court in Gava, must be accepted by a judge before any charges can be brought.

Lionel Messi, who was named the best player in the world for four consecutive seasons, is one of the highest-paid sportsmen.

He commands an annual salary of $20m (£13m) and pulls in around $21m (£13.4m) in endorsements from sponsors including Adidas, PepsiCo and P&G, according to Forbes magazine.

Messi is on a short break after playing the final 30 minutes of Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Ecuador in Quito.

Alejandro Sabella, the coach of the national side, previously said he expects to include the 25-year-old in the line-up for a friendly against Guatemala on Friday.

Barcelona declined to comment on the claims.

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