Football icon Lionel Messi has donated 80000 euros towards reconstruction efforts in areas of Madrid affected by the devastating wildfires that swept through the region in recent weeks.
The contribution was announced by Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who thanked the Argentine star for supporting communities impacted by the fires.
“Leo Messi has donated 80,000 euros to rebuild the Sierra Oeste area in Madrid. I would like to thank him, and to tell him that the people of Madrid look forward to welcoming him soon and giving him the applause he deserves,” Díaz Ayuso said in a social media post.
Messi’s donation comes as Spanish authorities continue recovery efforts in the Sierra Oeste region, which was among the worst affected by the wildfires.
The fires were part of a wider wave of wildfires that swept across southern Europe, prompting mass evacuations and emergency operations in Spain, France and Italy amid extreme heat and strong winds.
Spain declared a national emergency as the blazes threatened communities near Madrid and in the province of Ávila.
