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Barcelona star Lionel Messi donated 4.5million Argentine Pesos to UNICEF as he appeared via video link at one of Argentina's biggest fundraisers.

The 28-year-old playmaker surprised attendees at the 'Un Sol Para Los Chicos' campaign - similar to Children In Need - by appearing from Barcelona to send his best wishes, and presented a cheque for AR$4,500,000 (£315,000).

Messi is preparing for the season-opening Supercopa de España against Athletic Club, and although he has been strongly criticised in his homeland for Argentina's failure to win either of the major finals they have appeared in over the last year, his generous charity gesture will have been seen around the country by over five million people.

(Image: Getty)

Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said this week that he would have already quit playing for his country if he was Lionel Messi, after

in a hiatus from the national team.

Messi netted only once in six games during the Copa America this summer, and was powerless to stop them losing in the final to host nation Chile just 12 months after they had fallen short in the World Cup final against the Germans.

He was criticised by his compatriots for his perceived under-performance throughout the competition, and was expected to sit out the friendly with Mexico in Dallas scheduled for September 8.

In pictures: Copa America final

But Martino has made it clear that he's not heard anything to that effect from his captain and has hit back at his critics.

He said: “If I was in Lionel Messi’s place, I would already have stopped playing [for Argentina] a while ago, but would have continued playing for Barcelona.

“To even speak about the criticisms of Messi is giving weight to something that doesn’t merit any sort of analysis whatsoever.

“Not from his mouth, nor from mine, nor from the mouth of the president of the Argentine football association has anything been said about Messi taking a break from the national team.

“It makes it all very difficult to explain when nobody involved had actually said anything!"

(Image: Getty)