Lionel Messi has long been invested in charity work and foundations. Learn about his more relevant efforts.
Beyond being an — in the most literal sense of the word — extraordinary soccer player, Lionel Messi is also a devoted philanthropist. Since the moment, his career started, Leo has been involved in plenty of charities and humanitarian causes.
An example of Messi’s empathy and generosity was once revealed when, in 2012, he committed to pay for the treatment of a 12-year-old aspiring soccer player who suffered from the same growth hormone deficiency he had as a child. This is just one case out of plenty of others. Keep reading to know more about Messi’s humanitarian commitment.
1. UNICEF
Barcelona never had sponsors on their famed jersey until 2006, when the club formed an international partnership with UNICEF. Since then, the club has displayed the UNICEF logo on their jersey, spreading, according to the foundation, “a message about the rights and needs of children as a symbol of the club's values and its solidarity with children.” That year was the first time Messi, at just the age of 19, appeared publicly associated with UNICEF.
Three years later, in 2010 — a year after he won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 — Messi was named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In the nomination ceremony, Leo said, “In my role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, I hope to be able to support children who need our support. I am willing to do whatever it takes to help.”
Source: statsbomb.com
2. The Leo Messi Foundation
The Leo Messi Foundation was created in 2007 moved by the belief that all children should have the same opportunities to realize their dreams. The Foundation is recognized because of its singular emphasis on transparency and international cooperation programs. These programs have three different areas of interest: health, education and sports promotion as a way of social integration.
The Leo Messi Foundation cooperates with other entities such as the Special Olympics Catalunya, who with it run a cooperative program to promote sports among children with intellectual disabilities that reached more than 1700 kids in 2021.
Another thing that’s really admirable about Lionel Messi is that he's never forgotten of his hometown, Rosario, in Argentina. The Leo Messi Foundation has been involved in numerous projects to attend health and educational issues there, as well as financing the FutbolNet program in Rosario, for example, so that hundreds of children can be incorporated into the community through soccer.
Source: fundacio.fcbarcelona.cat
3. Josep Carreras Leukemia Foundation
The Josep Carreras Foundation against Leukemia was established in 1988 to help find a cure for the disease. Their efforts focus on three main areas: scientific research, managing Spain's Bone Marrow Donor Registry, and improving the quality of life for patients.
In 2019, Messi’s foundation partnered with the Josep Carreras Leukemia Foundation to assist in the development of leukemia therapy in children. “No child with leukemia” is the research project they started to support the study of a rare and very severe type of early-life leukemia.
Source: fcarreras.org
4. Doctors Without Borders
In 2017, Messi donated €72,000 to Doctors Without Borders — the well-known medical humanitarian organization that provides aid to people in conflict zones and other areas of crisis. This donation came about after Messi won a defamation lawsuit against the Spanish newspaper La Razón. The newspaper had made false allegations of doping during a match.
Messi's decision to donate the entire sum awarded to him in the lawsuit highlights his commitment to social causes and his ability to turn a negative situation into a positive one.
5. Join The Planet
In 2024, Messi joins forces with Join The Planet, a foundation, to collaborate with environmental preservation. Join The Planet is not a charity in a traditional sense, as this new effort goes a step further by helping different coastal communities and recycling materials to make souvenirs that everyone can participate in. The latest items are the limited-edition collectible boot, Messi memorabilia that’s made from plastics sourced from the Patagonia, Indonesia, China, Thailand, and India, among other places — like the Paraná River in Rosario.
With Messi as an official ambassador, Join The Planet wants to make it right for communities across the globe, and each time you buy the collectible, ornamental shoes, you’re giving Messi and our platform another reason to keep our work going.
Join The Planet is a simple way to get Messi's official autographed items, regardless of where you live, while at the same time playing a part in his charity work. Owning a Join The Planet boot not only gives you a unique Messi collectible, but it also helps ocean conservation.
The Genesis Edition ornamental boot is unique, affordable, and easy to get because Messi has done his best to make it available to everyone.
Buy the Join The Planet signed collectible boot by Leo Messi now.