Argentinian star Leo Messi is a new goodwill ambassador for Unicef and from now on the Barça striker “wants to add my grain of sand” to improving the lives of children all around the world.
Leo Messi was presented in his new role in Sala Paris at midday on Thursday, with the facilities
decked out for the occasion in the form of a ceremony organised jointly by Unicef and FC Barcelona
in which the striker was unveiled as a United Nations representative as part of the strugglle to
combat vulnerability in the lives of boys and girls all around the planet.
Leader for the young
One of the reasons why Leo Messi was named an ambassador by Unicef was
because being so young, just 22, he is well poised to influence young people. The Argentinian said
he’d be accepting the responsibility of “doing whatever is possible to help to make
improvements. I know there are children in trouble, that are sick, that can’t eat properly,
that have no education... I want to collaborate and contribute my grain of sand to improving the
situation”.
Emotional
One of the most emotional moments of the day came when Messi signed an agreement to undertake
the role for two years and he received a badge from Philip O’Brien, the worldwide director of
Corporate Partnerships for Unicef. The striker compared this moment with receiving the Balon
d’Or and Fifa World Player awards. “It is one trophy more to be able to become an
ambassador. I like to help and when I have had the chance I have done that and that’s why
I’m joining Unicef”.
Argentina on his mind
As soon as he officially became part of the “Unicef family”, as he put it, Leo
Messi has decided he would like to get a first hand vision of some of the problems around the
world. Although he is busy with games and training, the Argentinian would like to find time to be
closer the people most in need. His first aim is to go to Argentina, where he has his own
foundation. But Messi has also said he’d like to go to places like Haiti, Chile and Africa
and “be able to see how people live there”.
Guardiola and Xavi in support
On such an important day for FC Barcelona, Unicef and Leo Messi, there
were plenty of other dignitaries there to witness the player become a goodwill ambassador. His
coach Josep Guardiola and colleague Xavi Hernàndez were among those in Sala París. Carles Folguera,
director of La Masia and somebody who has been with Messi all the way through his rise to fame, was
also proud to be there.
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Photograph in the Camp Nou
After the event, Leo Messi put on a Unicef shirt and went down to pitch level at the Camp Nou with
a group of children, Philip O’Brien, worldwide director of Corporate Partnerships for Unicef,
and president Joan Laporta. The player posed for a photo with all these people, a picture that he
will surely treasure for life.