French footballer, Nabil Fekir, who plays for Real Betis in Spain, donated his World Cup champion ring to a public charity auction dedicated to the victims of the Morocco earthquake and the Libya cyclone.
The auction was livestreamed on the Twitch platform, and Fekir’s ring was sold for $45,000.
The players of the French national team, who were crowned champions of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, received commemorative rings as rewards for their victory.
The total amount raised in the auction was reported to be $113,000, with various sports stars contributing items. French kickboxing champion Cédric Doumbé, for example, auctioned his gloves for $4,236.
Nabil Fekir, aged 30, with Algerian roots, is part of the golden generation of the French national team that secured the 2018 FIFA World Cup title. He has earned 25 caps and scored two goals for the French national team.
Fekir has been dealing with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament since February 2023, which has kept him out of action for his Spanish club for over seven months.
Last month, players from European national teams observed a minute of silence before their matches to mourn the victims of the Libyan storm and Moroccan earthquake.
Numerous European clubs also expressed their condolences and solidarity with Libya.
“Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) will observe a minute of silence in all upcoming matches for national teams and clubs until the end of the following week, mourning the victims of the floods in Libya and the earthquake in Morocco,” it tweeted.
The organisation further stated that “the hearts of European football are with the people of Libya and Morocco during these difficult times.” The devastating storm Daniel resulted in the death of over 4,000.
In a separate development, the earthquake in Morocco claimed the lives of thousands of people, and injured 5,530, in addition to causing extensive material damage.
Prominent football clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Liverpool are among those showing solidarity with the victims.
On September 10th, regions in eastern Libya experienced intense floods, leading to numerous deaths and disappearances. Homes were submerged, and significant infrastructure damage was observed due to the Mediterranean storm, Daniel.
The storm caused devastating floods in Libya that destroyed dams, and swept away entire neighbourhoods in multiple coastal towns in the east of the nation.
Since a 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed long-time ruler Moammer Gaddafi, Libya has lacked a central government and the resulting lawlessness has meant dwindling investment in the country’s roads and public services, as well as minimal regulation of private buildings. The country is now split between rival governments in the east and west, each backed by an array of militias.