Throughout his career , Messi has been involved in charitable efforts aimed at vulnerable children , a commitment that stems in part from the medical difficulties he faced in his own childhood . Since 2004 , he has contributed his time and finances to the United Nations Children 's Fund ( UNICEF ) , an organisation with which Barcelona also have a strong association . Messi has served as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since his appointment in March 2010 , completing his first field mission for the organisation four months later as he travelled to Haiti to bring public awareness to the plight of the country 's children in the wake of the recent earthquake . He has since participated in UNICEF campaigns targeting HIV prevention , education , and the social inclusion of disabled children . To celebrate his son 's first birthday , in November 2013 , Messi and Thiago were part of a publicity campaign to raise awareness of mortality rates among disadvantaged children
recent earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
Lionel Messi