Burna Boy Makes History as First Nigerian to Present Ballon d’Or Award

Kehinde Adeleye

Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy has made history as the first Nigerian artiste to present an award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, handing the 2026 Sócrates Award to Arsenal and England forward Bukayo Saka.

Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, presented the award on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium in the United Kingdom during the 70th edition of the prestigious football awards.

Before presenting the honour, the Grammy-winning singer spoke about his football academy in Nigeria and expressed hope that it would produce a player who would one day receive recognition at the Ballon d’Or.

“Hopefully, inshallah, one day I’ll come back here to see one of my people getting an award in Ballon d’Or,” he said.

The Sócrates Award recognises footballers who use their influence and resources to support humanitarian causes and make a positive impact on society.

Saka received the 2026 honour for his charitable work with BigShoe, an organisation that provides medical assistance to children in need. His efforts have helped fund surgeries for children in Nigeria and other African countries. <Cite refs={[“turn299168search0″,”turn299168search1”]}/>

Burna Boy launched his football academy in Lagos in August 2024 as part of efforts to support football development in Nigeria.

His appearance at the ceremony adds to his growing presence at major international sporting events, bringing Nigerian music and his ambitions for grassroots football development to a global audience.