Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most successful, yet divisive athletes in the world.
Adored by his fans for his amazing achievement, Ronaldo also has an army of critics who hate his obsession with appearance and brand.
Cristiano Ronaldo has donated €1.5 million to Palestinian children in Gaza. Raising funds from his Golden boot he won in 2011.
— Cristiano Stats (@CristianoStats) November 20, 2012
But while many deride the famous footballer for being too vain, few know of his charity work.
In 2011, Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the European golden boot after scoring 40 goals under Jose Mourinho, although Los Blancos could only finish second in La Liga and crashed out at the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus star striker has donated 1.5 million dollars "intended as a gesture of solidarity and to alleviate the pain felt by Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip."https://t.co/8hii4orQHf pic.twitter.com/DszWXac5Bc
— BDS South Africa (@BDSsouthafrica) May 17, 2019
Rather than keep the award in his already packed trophy room – Ronaldo opted to sell it for charity.
The boot went on sale at auction and raised a stunning £1.2 million (approx $1.5 million).
The funds went towards building a number of schools in war-torn Gaza.
#Ronaldo tells the children of #Syria "I am with you"
Help #ALEPPO! 'The real heroes' If you cant donate RETWEET https://t.co/Scq8Qzs2nA pic.twitter.com/Lblr6KonLA
— Fatih Seferagic (@FatihSeferagic) December 23, 2016
Ronaldo is also an ambassador for three major charities, Save the Children, Unicef and World Vision, and has spoken up for countless more and he repeatedly mentioned children during his official speeches.
In 2016, he recorded a message to the children affected by the Syrian conflict, calling them “true heroes” and stating “I am with you”.
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(The Sun, Social Media)
