Star footballer Lionel Messi has announced to donate 3.5 million Euros through his foundation for the Turkey-Syria earthquake victims.
Meanwhile, Turkish soccer player Merih Demiral has announced a fundraising effort that has attracted support from some of the biggest names in the sport. Demiral is a defender for the Italian Club Atlanta and the Turkish national team. He has solicited donations to relief efforts through his professional outfit Team Demiral. The footballer has talked to the football greats including Cristiano Ronaldo, and Serie A counterparts Leonardo Bonucci and Paulo Dybala, who offered signed jerseys that will be auctioned off with profits donated to nonprofit earthquake relief efforts.
Footballers from all over the world are showing support for the earthquake victims. Atlético Madrid stars Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata donated signed jerseys, and Thursday, Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and teammate Dejan Kulusevski, on loan from Juventus, did the same.
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France’s Kylian Mbappe has also donated his signed jersey for the auction. Manchester City standouts Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne; Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard; and Paris Saint-Germain stars Lionel Messi have also donated their jerseys.
Ronaldo’s jersey which received the highest bid has been sold at $212,450.
The Union of European Football Associations on Friday donated 200,000 euros (around $214,000) to support humanitarian efforts in Turkey and Syria.
Death toll in the devastating earthquake has crossed 20,000 in Turkey and Syria. Relief efforts are ongoing in quake-hit areas but rescuers say the chances of rescuing more survivors are getting dim with each passing hour.
Read more: China seeks end to US sanctions against Syria following earthquakes
Meanwhile, calls are being made to ease sanctions on Syria to speed up the relief efforts in the country.
American sanctions targeting Syria have disrupted relief efforts following catastrophic earthquakes that have killed more than 19,000 people in the region earlier this week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has said. Beijing urged the US to lift the penalties against Syria and “unlock the doors for humanitarian aid.”
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was asked to comment on the sanctions during her daily press briefing on Wednesday, noting Washington’s history of intervention in Syria and the grave consequences for average citizens.