The president of the Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, thanked the Argentine footballer for his donation of €80,000 for the restoration of areas devastated by wildfires.
Lionel Messi, the celebrated Inter Miami footballer, has donated €80,000 for the restoration of areas in western Madrid that have been ravaged by massive wildfires in recent weeks. The news was announced on social media on August 4, 2026, by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the president of the Community of Madrid, who expressed her gratitude and invited Messi to the Spanish capital.
"Lionel Messi has donated €80,000 for the restoration of the western mountain area of Madrid. I want to thank him and tell him that we, the people of Madrid, expect him soon so we can give him the applause he deserves," Ayuso wrote.
The donation amount, which corresponds to approximately 467,000 Brazilian reais, is earmarked for the restoration of Sierra Oeste de Madrid. The fire in that area was stabilized and brought under control after nearly two weeks of active burning, but authorities are maintaining a second level of alert. Firefighters and forestry workers continue to extinguish individual hotspots, especially around the San Juan reservoir.
This humanitarian gesture comes shortly after the 39-year-old Argentine led his national team to the World Cup final. Along the way to the final, he scored eight goals and provided four assists, but Spain triumphed 1-0 in the final. After a brief rest, Messi returned to club duties and played 37 minutes in the 2-2 draw between Inter Miami and Columbus Crew over the past weekend.
Messi made the donation at a time when Spain and France are battling their most devastating wildfire season on record. In Spain alone, according to government data, fire has consumed more than 150,000 hectares of vegetation, and more than 330,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes. In the Madrid region, the fire destroyed 27,000 hectares of forest and directly affected more than 50,000 people. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the coming hours are crucial for containing the fires.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the situation as the most severe since World War II. "The situation we face today is the most severe on record, the worst since World War II," he said during a visit to the Bordeaux region. In France, more than 116,000 hectares have burned since the beginning of summer 2026, and around 220,000 French citizens have had to leave their homes.
Experts warn that climate change is exacerbating the intensity of fires. "We have entered an era of uncontrollable fires," said Víctor Resco de Dios, professor of forestry engineering and global change at the University of Lleida. He added that these are "fires that burn with the intensity of several atomic bombs."
Temperatures rose again this Wednesday, increasing the risk of new fires. At least six regions in Spain were expected to reach 40°C, while the forecast in southwestern France was up to 42°C. Fire brigade commander Matthieu Jomain stated that "the situation is stable, but the fire is not yet under control," while Lieutenant Cyril Venière warned that "the fire will continue to burn below the surface for weeks, perhaps even years."
As parts of the population slowly return, the scale of the disaster is daunting. Volunteer Jérémy Presi described the fear of the local population: "Today we are afraid. They, the tourists, can get in their cars and leave. This is our home." Retiree José Fernández, whose house in Pelayos de la Presa burned to the ground, said: "I have no money, no documents, no house. Everything is left there." Magaly Vargas, who lived in a camp in Navaluenga, testified: "I lived here. Nothing is left. It's terrible." Co-owner of the camp, Maria Angeles Cañete, added: "We have lost everything. We have nothing left."
The mayor of Pelayos de la Presa, Antonio Sin, called the fire "terrible, brutal" and "a monster that ran us over." Nevertheless, there are also stories of luck. Maria Paz Bolaños from Navas del Rey, whose house remained intact, says: "We have lived here for 50 years. My grandfather and my father must be in heaven. Somehow they made the fire reach this point and stop exactly at this spot." Morgane Bonichot, who was evacuated with her daughter and animals to a shelter, is worried about the future: "What worries me most is thinking about the future, because the situation gets worse every year. This will become a disaster."
