Top 10 Most Charitable Soccer Players That'll Surprise You

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, better known as Neymar Jr. or simply Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for French club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. The Neymar Jr. Project Institute helps thousands of kids get a good education and provide them with physical activity facilities. Each year, Neymar organizes a charity match with fellow Brazilian footballer Nenê in Nenê's hometown of Jundiaí, with the purpose of raising food for needy families.

Didier Yves Drogba Tébily, better known as Didier Drogba, is an Ivorian retired professional footballer who played as a striker. After the Ivory Coast qualified for the 2006 World Cup, Drogba made a desperate plea to end the civil war in the country, a plea which was answered with a cease-fire after five years of civil war. On 24 January 2007, Drogba was appointed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Goodwill Ambassador.

Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini, better known as Lionel Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Messi has served as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and has since participated in UNICEF campaigns targeting HIV prevention, education, and the social inclusion of disabled children. Messi founded his own charitable organization, the Leo Messi Foundation, which supports access to health care, education, and sport for children.

Mesut Özil is a German professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Arsenal as an attacking midfielder. Özil donated his 2014 World Cup winnings, an estimated £240,000, to pay for 23 sick Brazilian children to have medical surgery.

David Robert Joseph Beckham, better known as David Beckham, is an English former professional footballer, the current president of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. In 2015, his tenth year as a UNICEF Ambassador, Beckham launched 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund to help protect children in danger. In 2013, he also donated all his £3.4 million salary taken from Paris Saint-Germain to two children's charities in France. Beckham helped raise $185,500 for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children to prevent bullying in schools.

Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays for Sabail in the Azerbaijan Premier League, as a midfielder. Essien has started his own charity organization called the Michael Essien foundation, which works to provide healthcare and education facilities, libraries, clean drinking water and public restrooms in his hometown. He was also appointed Peace Ambassador by the African Union.

Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a forward. His charity organization, The Craig Bellamy Foundation was announced in Sierra Leone, that among other things built a not-for-profit football academy. The Craig Bellamy Foundation also operated a nationwide youth league that was founded in conjunction with UNICEF.

Zinedine Yazid Zidane, better known as “Zizou”, is a French former professional football player who played as an attacking midfielder. He is the current manager of La Liga club Real Madrid. He regularly takes part in charity games.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, better known as just Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Juventus and captains the Portugal national team. He donated over $7,000,000 after the terrible 2015 earthquake in Nepal. He also sold his Golden Shoe Award and donated his Champions League bonus of over $720,000 to charity. Ronaldo is an official Save the Children's Ambassador and helps individual children and families as well.

Do you know any other charitable soccer players?

We admire the most famous soccer (or football) players for their amazing sports skill, but, in fact, there’s another good reason to look up to them: their acts of incredible kindness. Stories of super stars helping children, the poor and the starving and doing other great things for charity will surely melt your heart.

Source: BRIGHT SIDE