FIFA World Cup hero Gavi has pledged to donate a seven-figure-sum to help build new homes for homeless people in his hometown in southern Spain.
The Barcelona star, who lifted the World Cup in North America with La Roja earlier this summer, has donated around €1.3 million of his own money to fund housing projects in the town where he grew up.
The 22-year-old midfielder is one of three World Cup winners, alongside Fabian Ruiz and Jesus Navas, to hail from Los Palacios y Villafranca, a small town of fewer than 40,000 inhabitants in Sevilla province.
Gavi, who came through the youth ranks at Real Betis before joining La Liga giants Barcelona at the age of 11, has retained close ties to the town despite his rise to global stardom.
His latest gesture will help build a 150-apartment complex with 300 beds, aimed at providing accommodation and support for some of the town’s most vulnerable residents.
According to mayor Juan Manuel Valle, Gavi’s generosity is another reflection of the close bond he holds with his hometown and its residents.
“Gavi has an overwhelming humility and simplicity,” he said. “Fame has not gone to his head at all.”
After defeating Argentina in the World Cup final in New Jersey in July, Gavi and teammate Ruiz returned to the town, with thousands of residents lining the streets to welcome the pair home, cheering on as the footballers were escorted into the town hall with their gold medals draped around their necks.
The mayor then announced that the town’s Marismas and San Sebastian stadiums had officially been renamed in their honour: the Fabian Ruiz Stadium, and the Pablo Paez Gavira ‘Gavi’ Stadium.
And in a quirky local tradition, the duo were rewarded for their exploits on the pitch with their own bodyweight of Bombon Colorado tomatoes, a prized local variety – 85 kg for Ruiz, and 68.5kg for Gavi.
Former Sevilla star Jesus Navas was honoured in a similar ceremony in 2010 after helping Spain to win its first World Cup in South Africa.
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