Special Christmas dinner
Antonio Rüdiger invites people with disabilities
01/01/2026 – 7:46 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Real Madrid players have a two-week break around Christmas. An opportunity for a little vacation – even for a national player.
Antonio Rüdiger used his days off for a special mission: The Berlin native traveled to Sierra Leone, his mother’s home country, for a week over Christmas.
Instead of vacation, charity work was on the agenda. With his foundation, the Real Madrid international was once again committed to humanitarian projects in the capital Freetown and the Kono district.
“Trips like this give me more energy during the short winter break than any vacation anywhere else could,” Rüdiger was quoted as saying in a statement from his management. “Being here, seeing the smiles, feeling the gratitude and knowing that our foundation’s work makes a small difference – that humbles me and motivates me. That’s what really matters in life.”
It was his third time there. This year, among other things, Rüdiger organized a Christmas dinner for around 200 people with disabilities, provided medical supplies for a hospital and distributed football equipment to over 350 children. Inclusion and youth support were also a focus.