Top football stars donate to relief efforts

A number of top football stars have come together to raise money for relief efforts in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

It all started with the Turkish football player Merih Demiral, who announced a fundraising effort through his professional e-sports outfit, Team Demiral. He quickly began to attract the biggest names in the sport.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Atletico Madrid stars Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane all offered signed jerseys to be auctioned off with proceeds donated to a nonprofit aiding earthquake disaster relief.

On Friday, the list of stars who donated their signed jerseys grew to include Manchester City players Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne; Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard; and the Paris Saint-Germain trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar.

Ronaldo's jersey alone was sold at around $212,450.

In addition to individual player contributions, football leagues have also chipped in and donated to aid efforts. The UK's Premier League has pledged one million pounds ($1.2m) to assist the victims.