Barcelona and Argentina captain Lionel Messi has donated 500,000 euros to the Garrahan Foundation to help the fight against coronavirus in his homeland, EDNews.net reports citing Sport.es.

Through his own Foundation, Messi has joined the campaign titled 'Juntos por la Salud Argentina' in order to help buy PPE for medical professionals and material to aid the battle against Covid-19.

So far, the money has been distributed across six Argentine hospitals in Santa Fe, Rosario, Cañuelas, San Martín and Buenos Aires.

"We are very grateful for the recognition towards our work which allows us to continue with our commitment to public health in Argentina," said the doctor Silvia Kassab, the executive director of the Garrahan Foundation.

Messi had previously made a 500,000 euro donation to the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona earlier in the pandemic.