Raissa's Blog - Best of Sports, Culture, and Entertainment

Lionel Messi's foundation has donated an incredible 200,000 euros to a UNICEF project in Kenya which targets the construction of a water pump and the supply of food to the hunger-stricken area. The global football star also contributed to privately funded search for Emiliano Sala after his plane crashed into the English channel last month as he journeyed from Nantes to Wales. The said project will provide running water to homes and primary schools to more than 2,000 people, children inclusive. New bathrooms will be built in the schools to improve on hygiene, and the kids will each receive 2 liters of water during a school day. In a bid to solve hunger issues that plague the area, at least 4,000 food supplements will be distributed to the affected Kenyan people. Reports reveal that more than 58,000 young people suffered from malnutrition in the country between the period of January and August last year. Other worrisome statistics reveal that more than 54,000 children under...

Cristiano Ronaldo during the first leg of the UCL last-16 tie vs Atletico Madrid Has Cristiano Ronaldo had plastic surgery? Recent reports suggest he just may. The Serie A superstar is renowned for both his footballing ability and his good looks. We all know he earned his superior footballing ability through determination and hard work. How much do we know about the origin of his good looks, though? It's no secret that the Juventus star has a near-obsessive fascination with his image, but how far will he go to achieve those dashing looks? A number of accounts have been given by Ronaldo's teammates about his self-admiration. One of such accounts was shared by ex-England striker Peter Crouch, to the  Daily Mail . “Rio Ferdinand would tell us stories about how Cristiano Ronaldo would stand in front of the mirror naked, running his hand through his hair, and say, ‘Wow. I’m so beautiful!'” he told the Daily Mail. “The other United players would try to wind him up, [...

Emiliano Sala (left) and David Ibbotson (right) A new search for the body of missing David Ibbotson who piloted the doomed plane carrying Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala will resume next week, as revealed by the pilot's family. David Ibbotson was flying Emiliano Sala - in a Piper Malibu aircraft - to Wales when it went missing over the English Channel last month. An official search for the missingSala and Ibbotson was called off on January 24 but a private search discovered the wreckage on the sea bed of the English Channel and a body, whichturned out to be Sala's .  Emiliano Sala Ibbotson's body wasn't found, so the family set up acrowdfunding campaign to fund a new search for his body. The campaign has so far raised more than £240,000. Ibbotson's daughter Danielle has posted an update on the  fundraising site - a GoFundMe page - thanking donors and announcing the possible resumption of the search next week. "Thank you all so much for you...

Lionel Messi Former Real Madrid and Juventus manager Fabio Capello spoke to the media ahead of Atletico Madrid's UEFA last-16 tie with Juventus, and also shared his opinion on Barcelona's Messi. Messi is often compared to Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo, but the Italian tactician believes Messi is a class apart from his rivals in the football world. "Leo Messi is not a footballer, he is a genius and the only genius in world football," he said, per  Marca 's  Paco Roche  and Gerardo Riquelme. "He has not won much silverware with Argentina but that is because he cannot do it all alone." Capekllo is also an admirer of Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he feels has been very impactful in Italy.  "Cristiano has woken up a lot of Juventus players," he added. "Bringing him to the club has been a wake-up call for many players and he has made them improve. "He is very important for Juventus because having someone as good as him at training...

Friends and family carry Sala's coffin to waiting hearse for journey to Santa Fe for cremation Cardiff city was well represented at Emiliano Sala's funeral, with a delegation made up of manager Neil Warnock, CEO Ken Choo and liaison officer Callum Davies. Davies was due to welcome Emiliano at Cardiff Airport on the fateful night of January 21.  Warnock (left) and Davies (right) at Sala's funeral Warnock spoke to reporters at the service and said it was a very emotional day. " It has been a very emotional morning. Mercedes (Sala’s mother) has been an immense woman this morning. Everyone she has met has had their own memories of Emiliano and it has brought tears to her eyes. His father is the same, and his brother and sister. It is like the whole village is united and it is amazing how they have coped with it. We were very fortunate last night to speak with Mercedes and Romina in the hotel and to have some quiet time. The pride Mercedes has in her son...

Mourners started paying tributes to the late Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala since the arrival of his remains in Argentina, on Friday. Sala's life was abruptly cut short in a plane crash as he traveled from Nantes to begin training with his new club Cardiff City. A vigil is going on at Sala's boyhood club San Martin in his hometown of Progreso. Sala's aunt Mirta Taffarel in tears Sala's devastated aunt, Mirta Taffarel, sobbed as she said, " I do not understand it. "I would like to find a responsible person, someone to tell me what has happened, but it only seems that fate led us to this." Fans draped a banner reading  'Emi, nunca caminaras solo' or 'Emi, You'll Never Walk Alone' outside the vigil, whih begun as early as 7:00 a.m. Mourners arrive at Club Atletico y Socual San Martin in Progreso A sobbing mourner, Lucia Torres, who lives nearby, said, "It's as if he was a member of my family. "It...