Rumor – A statement attributed to Samuel Eto’o claims that Lionel Messi created a secret project called “10” to help villages in Africa, without media or publicity, with support from UNICEF.
Analysis
A touching story attributed to former footballer Samuel Eto’o has been gaining traction on social media across various countries. According to the claim, Lionel Messi allegedly called Eto’o to propose a secret project to help African villages by building hospitals, schools, and playgrounds for children.
The message also claims that Messi flew anonymously and without media to Yaoundé, Cameroon, to begin the charity effort named “10.” The content cites a so-called “UNICEF Podcast” as the source and portrays Messi as someone who works away from the spotlight, gathering donations from football legends. It reads:
Samuel Eto’o: “I was sitting at home in Douala when suddenly my phone rang. The number? Unknown, but something in my heart said, ‘Pick up, Samuel.’ When I answered, I heard, ‘Samu? Do you still have the same number as in 2009?’ (He chuckles softly.) So I said, ‘Lionel?! Even if I changed my number 100 times, you would be the first to know! But why are you calling in the middle of the night? Do you finally want to admit that I am the best at pikey-pikey among us?’ Then he started laughing and said, ‘No, this time it’s more important. I’ve seen what you’re doing in Africa and I’ve seen the eyes of the children in some remote villages when you visit them. I want to be part of that, but in my own way.’ My heart stopped for a moment. Messi talking about Africa with such passion?! Then I heard him say: ‘I want to build schools and hospitals, but not in my name. In the name of football that brought us together.’ And you know the way, Samuel.”
The following week, Messi secretly flew to Yaoundé. No press conferences, no cameras. Just him and I visiting a remote village. There, we met a little girl called Ama. She was holding her worn-out ball and said to Messi: ‘You are magic, but my ball doesn’t fly like yours!’ At that moment, I saw Messi’s tears. He took out his phone and said to me: ‘Here. Let’s build a playground for every child in this village and we will teach them that true magic is giving without expecting anything in return.’
Messi didn’t stop there! He launched a secret programme called ’10’. The programme collects donations from football legends to save forgotten villages in Africa. The most beautiful thing? His only condition was: ‘No media, no fuss, just action.’ That day I understood why Messi is ‘great.’ Not because he scores goals, but because he knows how to sow hope in the hearts of those who have no voice. Now, whenever someone asks me: ‘What is the difference between Messi and all the other players?’, I say: ‘Some live to love football, and Messi lives to make football love people.’ Africa does not need heroes seen on the screen, but heroes who come down to earth and hold the hands of children. And Messi did.” Source: [UNICEF Podcast]
Fact-check
The story has emotional appeal and captivating language, but it raises legitimate doubts. To verify it, let’s answer the following questions: 1) Did Eto’o say Messi created a secret project to help African villages? 2) Was the statement published by UNICEF or any reliable source? 3) Are there similar false stories involving Messi and donations?
Did Eto’o say Messi created a secret project to help African villages?
No. There is no reliable record of Samuel Eto’o making this statement. A search through official channels and interviews with the former player finds no evidence confirming the alleged conversation with Messi. Nor are there credible reports of Messi participating in secret charitable missions in Africa as described. While Messi is known for charity work, this “10” project does not exist.
Was the statement published by UNICEF or any reliable source?
Although Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o are UNICEF goodwill ambassadors, there’s no record of this story on the organization’s official platforms. The supposed “UNICEF Podcast” also doesn’t exist on podcast platforms or UNICEF’s own YouTube channel. Mentioning UNICEF seems to be a way to lend false credibility to a made-up story.
Are there similar false stories involving Messi and donations?
Yes, and they are quite common. Rumors have claimed that Messi would donate $10 million to Chapecoense or €3.5 million to Turkish earthquake victims—both of which were denied and not confirmed by official sources. Another example is the false rumor that Eto’o paid Ronaldinho’s bail.
Conclusion
It is not true that Samuel Eto’o revealed a secret Messi project to help African villages. The alleged testimony is not found in any reliable sources, the cited “UNICEF Podcast” does not exist, and the “10” project is nowhere to be found on UNICEF channels. This is another emotionally charged but baseless hoax.
Fake news ❌
PS: This article was suggested by readers of Boatos.org. If you’d like to suggest a topic to Boatos.org, contact us via email at [email protected] or WhatsApp (https://wa.me/556192755610).