Barcelona star, Neymar, has been accused of tax evasion in his native Brazil, with €42 million of his assets frozen by a court in Sao Paulo.
The striker is accused of not paying €14 million in taxes between 2011 and 2013.
Judge Carlo Muta froze three times that amount for security reasons and to cover potential interest and fines, according to a judicial order explaining the seizure.
The action covers property and vehicles and is a preventive measure to stop the player selling assets before the case is settled. He will still have access to bank accounts and other liquid assets.
The 23-year-old is accused of “omitting sources of income from abroad”.
Barcelona Football Club was cited as the source of unreported money.
The frozen assets were in the name of the footballer, who scored 22 league goals for his club last season, and three companies in which he and his father are the principal owners.
Neymar’s total assets were given as €54 million. He joined the Spanish giants in June 2013 after starting as a youngster at Santos, but his transfer has been a source of controversy.
Then Barcelona President, Sandro Rosell, said Neymar cost €57.1 million, but the deal was shrouded in secrecy.
Rosell’s successor, Josep Maria Bartomeu, eventually admitted the total cost came to €86.2 million, once additional payments to the player and his family had been included.
Rosell resigned in January 2014 after a judge decided to investigate and call him to testify in the case.
A Brazilian investment firm, which bought an interest in Neymar, has taken legal action against the player, his father and Barcelona in a bid to secure a bigger slice of the transfer fee.
Neymar’s Barcelona team mate, Lionel Messi, is also facing charges over tax evasion relating to his income from the club.