Barely 24 hours after headlining half time at first ever NFL game in France, making a history, Burna Boy made another history last night as the first Nigerian artiste to present an award at the Ballon d’Or.
At the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London on Monday, October 26, 2026, Burna presented the Socrates Award to Arsenal Star man Bukayo Saka.
The Socrates Award – named after Brazilian legend Sócrates and created in 2022 with France Football and Peace and Sport – honours a footballer for humanitarian and societal work off the pitch.
25-year-old Bukayo Ayoyinka Saka, of Nigerian heritage was honoured for his long partnership with charity BigShoe, which provides medical care to children in need. In 2022, Saka funded life-changing surgeries for 120 children in Kano state, Northern part of his native Nigeria. In 2023, he funded another 100 surgeries in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and donated container homes after the Morocco earthquake.
On stage, Saka didn’t talk about himself. He read a letter from Biringiro, a 14-year-old Rwandan beneficiary which reads:
“When I was 12, I started losing my sight… Then, thanks to Big Shoe, I received the eye care that I needed. Today, I can read the blackboard even from the back of the classroom… I want to become an English teacher one day.”
“For me, it’s an honour to be here, and it’s an honour to receive this award on behalf of all the children we’ve been able to help.” – Saka
Burna Boy who attended the ceremony was called to stage by Kate Scott and Thierry Henry, Burna spoke about his own Burna Boy Football Academy in Lagos before opening the envelope:
“Something I started a few years ago, just to support the football culture back home. Hopefully, inshallah, one day I’ll come back here to see one of my people getting an award in Ballon d’Or.”
Previous Socrates winners include Sadio Mané, Vinícius Júnior, and Jenni Hermoso.
