Authorities have launched an investigation into construction violations.

Reports reveal that Argentine Lionel Messi, star of Inter Miami in the USA, is facing a legal crisis in Spain over his luxury palace on the island of Ibiza, which is now threatened with demolition due to issues related to building permits.

According to Spanish media, authorities on Ibiza have opened an official investigation regarding the palace Messi purchased in 2022 in the San José area, after it was found that the property has legal problems concerning construction permits.

The Spanish newspaper Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera reported that Messi bought the palace in September 2022 for 11 million euros, with an area of about 548 square meters.

However, after inspection, it was found that the property was built without an official construction permit and lacks a habitation certificate, placing it in an “illegal” status from a planning and urban perspective.

The report indicated that authorities have started investigating construction violations, especially since the palace is built on public agricultural land not classified as residential. If violations are confirmed, a decision may be issued to remove parts of the building or take other legal actions against the previous owner and contractors.

This was not the first legal problem facing the palace; in 2023, the building was attacked by environmental activists from the “Futuro Vegetal” movement, who vandalized its facade during a protest against what they called “the responsibility of the wealthy in the climate crisis.”

Following this, Messi filed an official complaint, demanding compensation of 50,000 euros for the damages caused to the property.

Messi’s luxury palace on the Spanish island of Ibiza, which was supposed to be a retreat for the Argentine star in one of the Mediterranean’s most famous locations, has become a source of legal and environmental trouble that may require costly legal interventions and possibly drastic decisions by Spanish authorities.