Messi donates libel damages to charity

Lionel Messi has donated the €72,783 of damages he has won against newspaper La Razon to the charity Doctors Without Borders.

The damages stem from comments made by the newspaper after Argentina’s 2014 World Cup final loss, when it was alleged the Barcelona star used a wig and performance-enhancing drugs.

“Footballer Lionel Messi has donated a total of €72,783.20 to the organisation Doctors Without Borders,” read a statement from Messi’s management company .

“This sum is the full amount of compensation requested by the player in the dispute following on from the publication of the article 'Sonatina' in La Razon by the journalist Alfonso Ussia.

“The decision made by a Barcelona court has now been confirmed by the Supreme Court. Messi will continue to defend himself against wrong and inaccurate accusations which attempt to dishonour him.”

A Catalan court had declared the ruling in early 2016 but the case was then passed onto the Spanish Supreme Court, which concurred with the verdict this week.

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