Archrivals on the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, have come together for a noble cause for the first time. Taking to their respective Facebook accounts, the two football stars of this decade have rallied for peace in Syria.
The civil war in Syria has ruined the future of the country, with its children left homeless and orphaned.
Cristiano and Messi have called for peace in Syria and to enable its children to help pursue their dreams.
"A war day is too much. The children of Syria have been subjected to violence and cruelty for SIX years in a conflict that holds them hostage [sic]," wrote Messi on Facebook.
"As a father and as a UNICEF's Ambassador I am heartbroken. Add your voice to UNICEF to demand the end of the war."
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) stated that 2016 was the worst year for the Syrian children who were subjected to continuous violence in the war-torn country. More than 250 children were killed inside or near a school last year, according to AFP.
Around 2.3 million Syrian children are living as refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq. And another 280,000 still live under siege across Syria, with no access to basic necessities like food, safe shelter or medicine, the UN organisation said.
"Today I think of Syrian kids like Omar* who drew his dream of being a barber [sic]," wrote Cristiano on Facebook, with a photo of the Syrian child Omar.
