Neymar faces Spanish court dates ahead of World Cup

Brazil star Neymar face court dates in Spain just under a month before the start of the World Cup in Qatar.
The start of oral arguments in a fraud trial against the 30-year-old has been scheduled for October 17 at a regional court in Barcelona, Spanish media reported Wednesday, citing the Spanish judiciary. They are likely to run until October 31.
The criminal case is about alleged irregularities in his transfer from Santos to Barcelona in 2013. He since moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
His parents and two ex-presidents of Barcelona - Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell - are also accused.
The hearings will come in the midst of PSG's season and just ahead of the World Cup in Qatar starting on November 21.
The prosecution is demanding a two-year prison sentence for Neymar. However, prison sentences of up to two years are almost always suspended in Spain for defendants without a criminal record.
It is not clear how often Neymar will have to attend the court.