Lionel Messi has donated €80,000 ($92,200) to the reconstruction efforts of Madrid’s Sierra Oeste region following devastating wildfires in the area.The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, revealed Messi’s contribution on X, thanking the Argentina international. The Athletic has verified the donation through a source close to Messi.“I want to say thanks to him and tell him that us Madrilenos hope to receive him soon to give him the applause he deserves,” Ayuso wrote.Wildfires in Spain and France, exacerbated by this summer’s heatwave, have destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares of land and displaced more than 300,000 people, per the New York Times.As of July 26, Ayuso said that more than 22,000 hectares, or about 54,300 acres, have been burned across the Sierra Oeste region, which lies to the west of the Spanish capital Madrid, with 43 homes destroyed and more than 300 others severely damaged.“That number will rise enormously, as we have never seen before,” Ayuso said last month.Messi was born in Argentina but moved to play for Barcelona at the age of 13, and remained in Spain until his departure to Paris Saint-Germain 21 years later.Messi, who is estimated by Forbes to be worth more than $1billion, has previously been recognised for his philanthropy.The 39-year-old has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2010, while his Lionel Messi Foundation has raised money for a number of humanitarian causes, including toward the building of a pediatric cancer centre in Barcelona.In early 2025, Messi was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the U.S., by former president Joe Biden. “He supports healthcare and education programmes for children around the world,” the White House said in a statement.Messi, who now stars for Inter Miami, spent the majority of his career playing in Spain with Barcelona. He lost a second World Cup final of his career last month when Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Spain after extra time but finished second top-scorer at the tournament with eight goals.The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner previously captained Argentina in their triumphant 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar.