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Lionel Messi Charity List: His Charity Work Explained

Lionel Messi has a long history of supporting charitable causes. His latest initiative focuses on global sustainability.

 

Lionel Messi's story is well-known: He was a standout with the ball from a young age, but he also had a growth hormone deficiency that jeopardized his future as a pro. Little Leo didn't become the great Messi we admire today overnight. The Messi we see today had to overcome his physical condition.

Having faced his struggles, Leo channels that same resilience to make a difference off the field. Through collaborations with hospitals, foundations, and other charities, he dedicates his resources to support others, especially children, just as he once received support. Up next, we’ll take a brief yet thorough look at the charity work of Lionel Messi.

 

1. The Leo Messi Foundation
2. UNICEF
3. Banco de Alimentos
4. Covid-19 aid
5. Fighting cancer
6. “Football Combating Malaria”
7. Charity matches
8. World Cup jersey auction
9. OrCam MyEye
10. Join The Planet

     

    1. The Leo Messi Foundation

    Founded in 2007, when he was merely 20 years old, the Leo Messi Foundation reflects Messi's belief that every child deserves a chance to live their best life. The foundation focuses on three key areas: health, education, and sports, and it’s particularly active in Messi's hometown of Rosario, in Argentina. One of its most impactful initiatives is the FutbolNet program, which uses soccer to teach values and build social inclusion. Since 2014, nearly 800 vulnerable children and young people in Rosario have benefited from this program, which Messi’s foundation runs in partnership with the FC Barcelona Foundation.

    The Leo Messi Foundation actively supports athletes with disabilities. For example, it donated a motorized wheelchair to Franco Greco, a young soccer player who was named the best player in his country’s wheelchair soccer league. Additionally, the foundation collaborates with Special Olympics Catalunya on a program that promotes sports participation among children with intellectual disabilities.

    2. UNICEF

    Leo Messi's relationship with UNICEF dates back to 2010 when he became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Since then, he has actively participated in various campaigns, including the “Celebrate Life” initiative for his son Thiago's first birthday, which aimed to raise awareness about infant mortality rates.

    Messi has a long history with UNICEF, since it was that organization the one to sponsor, for the first time, the FC Barcelona jersey. He has continually committed to the UNICEF cause. For example, in February 2019, Messi’s foundation contributed €200,000 to UNICEF projects in Kenya. With this money, the organization ended up helping over 2,000 people with access to clean water and nutritious meals.

    3. Banco de Alimentos

    The Leo Messi Foundation has consistently supported various subsidiaries of Food Bank — a nonprofit organization that collects excess food from businesses and distributes it to those who need it — through donations of autographed jerseys for their annual charity dinners. In 2023, this contribution raised funds equivalent to 60,000 plates of food at the Tucumán event. Messi's support continues in 2024, with another jersey set to be auctioned at this year's dinner.

     

     

    4. Covid-19 aid

    During the coronavirus-related pandemic of 2020, Lionel Messi stepped up to support the fight against the disease. He contributed health equipment valued at €1 million, which was split between the Hospital Clinic in Catalunya and a health center in Argentina. This contribution helped pay for vital medical equipment, including respirators, monitors, and pumps for hospitals across Argentina. During this period, Messi also led the Barcelona players in taking a 70% pay cut. This decision supported the club’s non-playing staff, who were able to receive their full salaries as a result.

     

     

    5. Fighting cancer

    Lionel Messi has been a big supporter in the fight against cancer, particularly through his foundation's collaboration with the SJD Pediatric Cancer Center in Barcelona. In 2018 Messi’s foundation, together with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), contributed €2.6 million to help complete the €30 million needed for the center’s construction. This new facility, the largest of its kind in Europe, will be able to treat up to 400 pediatric cancer cases a year.

     

    Messi's commitment to the cause is reflected not only in his financial support but also in his personal involvement. He celebrated a goal against Sevilla by making a gesture that symbolized the #ParaLosValientes (For The Brave) campaign, which helped raise funds for the center. Additionally, Messi’s foundation has established strong links between the Garrahan Hospital in Buenos Aires and the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona and offers grants to support cancer research and patient care.

     

    Source: Mundodeportivo

     

    6. “Football Combating Malaria”

    In 2013, Messi’s foundation joined forces with Aspire Academy to combat malaria in Senegal through the “Football Combating Malaria” campaign. This initiative focused on raising awareness and distributing mosquito nets to help prevent the disease. Messi’s involvement helped reach thousands across the country. To date, the campaign has distributed over 70,000 Messi-branded mosquito nets in more than 300 Senegalese elementary schools and trained 1,310 community champions to educate locals on malaria prevention.

    7. Charity matches

    Besides his financial contributions, Messi has actively participated in charity matches to support different causes. Leo teamed up with big-name players like Ronaldinho and Neymar and played games in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and the United States to raise funds and awareness. He has also held charity matches in Argentina, including in his hometown of Rosario, where he benefitted local charities like Fundación Pupi. The “Friends of Messi” series of charity matches is played in various locations, and the proceeds go to Leo’s foundation.

    8. World Cup jersey auction

    After (finally!) being crowned world champion at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Leo Messi made his victory even more meaningful with the auction of six of his World Cup jerseys, including the one from the historic final. The auction at Sotheby’s raised $7.8 million and made these jerseys some of the most valuable ever auctioned off. A big part of the money collected was donated to the UNICAS Project at Sant Joan de Déu Children’s Hospital in Barcelona, which supports children with rare diseases.

     

    Source: Instagram

     

    9. OrCam MyEye

    In 2022, Messi’s foundation learned about Cristián Guglielmett — a blind attorney from Rosario who lost his sight at 17 — and decided to help him. Touched by Cristián’s dedication, whose work includes converting texts into braille and audio formats for the visually impaired, Messi gifted him an OrCam MyEye — a portable AI device that reads texts, recognizes faces, and identifies objects in real-time. The story of Cristián inspired Messi to become an ambassador for OrCam MyEye.

    10. Join The Planet

    In 2024, Lionel Messi took a new step in his charitable journey and partnered with Join The Planet, a foundation dedicated to environmental conservation. The foundation creates unique collectibles like the Genesis Edition boot, made from ocean plastics sourced from various geographic regions, including Patagonia and India.

    As an official ambassador, Messi helps raise awareness and funds for this cause. Each purchase of the signed collectible boot gives you a special Messi memorabilia and contributes to a global movement for a cleaner planet.

     

    Source: jointheplanet.earth

     

    You can now buy the Collectors' edition for $199 and the Limited edition for $359, with global shipping. Both editions have Messi’s signature, and each has a unique token ID validated with blockchain technology so that you can claim you have the real thing.

    Buy the specially-designed collectible boot and support environmental conservation while owning a piece of Messi’s legacy. Be a part of Messi’s latest initiative now!

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