• Reports suggested Real Madrid midfielder had made huge donation • Charity says claims are false, but thanks him for ‘raising awareness’

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Save the Children has denied reports that Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo made a £5m donation towards its earthquake relief effort in Nepal.

According to the reports in France, the 30-year-old made the donation while also launching an appeal to his 100 million Facebook followers to support the charity’s work.

Nepal's quake-shattered villages: 'there’s nothing to stay for now' Read more

However, in a statement, the charity clarified: “The global ambassador for Save the Children, Cristiano Ronaldo, has used his voice and his global visibility to raise awareness of the problems faced by the most vulnerable children around the world, including those affected by the earthquake in Nepal.

“The latest information on the donation of Cristiano Ronaldo to the emergency response of Save the Children in Nepal is false. After the second earthquake, which has brought further devastation to the country, the NGO wants to thank Cristiano Ronaldo and other influential people for their support in publicising the situation facing children and families in Nepal.”

The Portugal striker became the charity’s new global ambassador for child hunger and nutrition in 2013, and has worked closely with other charities including Unicef and World Vision. In 2008 he flew to Indonesia having seen a survivor from the tsunami there wearing a shirt with his name on the back.