Andrés Iniesta is under preliminary investigation by the Peruvian Public Prosecutor’s Office for aggravated fraud as of November 11, 2025.
The accusations come from several Peruvian businessmen who claim they were defrauded of approximately $600,000 through events promoted by a company linked to Iniesta.
This is a major off-field controversy for the 41-year-old former Barcelona and Spain midfielder, who retired from professional football in October 2024.
The allegations center on NSN South America, a subsidiary of Iniesta’s Spanish company Never Say Never, founded in April 2023. Iniesta co-founded the company with Paul Valderrama Rubio and Carlos Gómez Pintor and publicly promoted it.
He praised Peru’s passion for sports during the launch, which was used to attract investors for planned sporting events, including a legends match, and music festivals.
Prosecutors claim investors provided funds expecting returns from these events, but none took place. NSN South America reportedly never published budget reports or provided financial accountability, leading to accusations of a major scam. The businessmen say they trusted the project because of Iniesta’s international career and global reputation.
The case is being handled by the First Office of the Provincial Corporate Criminal Prosecutor in San Isidro-Lince, Peru. Authorities are tracing the missing funds and investigating potential corporate irregularities.
Iniesta is named as a key figure for authorizing the company’s expansion into Peru, though he is not accused of direct involvement in daily operations.
Iniesta and NSN have denied the allegations in an official statement, saying the Peruvian branch was run by the wrong people who caused damage to the company and third parties.
They claim to be cooperating with authorities and trust that justice will clarify the facts. No arrests or formal charges have been issued, and the investigation is ongoing.
This is not Iniesta’s first financial issue. In March 2024, Japanese tax authorities demanded €3.5 million from him for undeclared income during his time at Vissel Kobe from 2018 to 2023, but he settled the matter and denied wrongdoing.
The Peruvian case involves fraud claims rather than tax issues and has attracted widespread media attention
The story emerged in Peruvian and Spanish media on November 10–11, 2025, and has since spread globally.