Want to know the athletes who have donated to fighting coronavirus? Then we have got some really good information for you. It is no longer news that the novel coronavirus has effectively brought the entire world to an abrupt halt. Nations all over the globe are now concerned about just one thing; how to stop the COVID-19 from wrecking more devastating havoc than it has already wrought. Already, millions of people have contracted the virus globally and thousands have died from it while many others have recovered.
However, even though the outbreak of the novel coronavirus has caused so much havoc around the world, it is noteworthy that the pandemic has also revealed the good and generous side of many athletes around the globe who have responded to the call for action, making huge donations to help curb the spread of the virus.
Many sports stars have churned out money and other relief materials to people in need at this time and have called out for others to follow suit in making these kind gestures. So, who are these athletes who have donated to fighting coronavirus? , and how much have they donated individually so far? Let’s have a look.
Athletes Who Have Donated To Fighting Coronavirus
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi, an Argentine soccer star generally considered to be one of the most successful and greatest footballers of all time, was one of the first sportsmen to make donations towards fighting the COVID-19. On March 24, 2020, reports emerged that Messi, a Barcelona player, and club legend, had made the donation of whopping €1 million to aid the fight against coronavirus.
The reports stated that Lionel Messi’s donation went to Hospital Clinic, a university teaching hospital in Barcelona, Spain which is both treating the victims of the pandemic and researching the virus. The hospital later confirmed the donation via their social media handles.
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Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola, a Spanish professional football manager, and former player is also one of the people who made donations towards fighting the COVID-19.
On March 24, 2020, it was reported that Guardiola, who is often regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, had made a donation of €1m towards providing medical equipment to help in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus in his home country Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, the world-famous Portuguese footballer, whose footballing skills has often left fans completely awed, is also one of the athletes who have donated to fighting coronavirus. He made donations towards fighting COVID-19 in Portugal.
According to reports on March 24, Cristiano Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes made a donation of €1 million towards aiding the cause. The money that they donated was sunk into buying crucial equipment for ICUs at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon and the Santo Antonio hospital in Porto.
Neymar
Brazilian footballer, Neymar known for his mesmerizing dribbling skills on the pitch, also made a donation. The footballer donated a massive 5 million Brazilian real (£775,000) to fight coronavirus.
Interestingly, Neymar made the donation anonymously as he did not want the attention that comes with it. However, Brazilian television channel SBT eventually revealed that it was the PSG star who had made the donation. The money which Neymar donated was reportedly split between UNICEF and a benefit fund in Brazil
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor, an Irish professional mixed martial artist, and boxer is also one of the the athletes who have donated to fighting coronavirus. He is on record to have made a donation of about €1million to fight coronavirus in his home country of Ireland. His donation provided cardiac monitors, oxygen equipment, and 50,000 masks for different hospitals around the country.
Different hospitals including the Mercy Hospital in Cork, have received personal protective equipment and other equipment thanks to McGregor’s donation.
Roger Federer
Roger Federer, a Swiss professional tennis player who is often considered to be one of the greatest tennis stars ever, donated one million Swiss francs ($1.02 million), alongside his wife, Mirka, to aid the fight against COVID-19.
Federer and Mirka explained that they made the donation to help the most vulnerable families in Switzerland who have been hit really hard by the devastating of the coronavirus.
Kasper Schmeichel
Kasper Schmeichel, a Danish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Leicester City, has also joined the list of the athletes who have donated to fighting coronavirus. He donated a £20,000 donation to Age UK, a leading charity for older people in the UK. Schmeichel made the donation after the charity launched the COVID Care initiative in Leicester to support local response to the coronavirus.
Schmeichel’s donation went into bringing care packages for older people who need all the care they can get during this challenging time.
Read Also: NBA Stars Who Have Tested Positive To The Coronavirus
Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba, a French professional footballer, also played his part in the coronavirus crisis. On his 27th birthday, Pogba set up a fundraising page in order to raise money to help the fight against coronavirus.
He also promised to double the figure if the £27,000 goal is reached.
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford, an English professional footballer, who plays for Manchester United, is yet one of the athletes who have donated to fighting coronavirus. The footballer revealed that he has joined forces with the charity FareShare in order to help distribute food for children who rely on schools for their daily meals since schools have been closed because of the outbreak
According to reports, the footballer has already raised more than £100,000 for the cause, and efforts are still being made.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association donated $100,000 to help employees in his home court arena who are missing out on pay after the NBA season was suspended.
Antetokounmpo made the announcement in a tweet, explaining that he wants to reach out to those who have helped to make his life better as well.
Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson, an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association also made a donation to help those missing out on salaries.
Williamson explained that he will be paying the salaries of Smoothie King Center employees for the 30 days as the coronavirus pandemic raged on.
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Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert, a French professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association is also one of the athletes who have donated to fighting coronavirus. He donated about $200,000 to the employee relief fund at Vivint Smart Home Arena to help the staff missing out on pay.
Gobert, who got infected with the coronavirus before eventually recovering, also went on to donate another $100,000 each to coronavirus-related social services in Utah and Oklahoma City. He also gave out €100,000 (roughly $111,000) to coronavirus relief in his native France.
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry, an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association and his wife, Ayesha have made commitment to donate one million meals to the Alameda County Community Food Bank for children in the Oakland Unified School District.
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