German midfielder Mesut Özil plans to spend his ample World Cup winnings not on himself, but on surgeries for 23 Brazilian children. Özil helped cover the surgeries of 11 children before the World Cup began, and used the $600,000 payout from winning the tournament to bump that total up to 23 — matching the number of players on the German team.
"This is my personal thank you for the hospitality of the people of Brazil," Özil wrote on his Facebook page to announce the donation.
Previous reports claimed Özil would be donating the money to children in Gaza, though a spokesman denied the claim. "Maybe in the future, who knows?" his rep, Roland Eitel, told The Independent. "He donated money to causes in Brazil and he is now on holiday."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.