Bukayo Saka won the 2026 Socrates Award for his charity work with BigShoe, an organisation that provides medical assistance to children in need.
Burna Boy, the Nigerian singer, gave Arsenal and England's Bukayo Saka the 2026 Socrates Award on Monday, October 26, during the Ballon d'Or event in London. The prize is for footballers who put their profile and means behind humanitarian work, and who make a real difference in the communities they belong to. France Football set it up in 2022 with Peace and Sport, and it is named after the late Brazilian footballer Sócrates.
Before presenting the award, Burna Boy spoke about the football academy he started in Nigeria. He said: "Something I started a few years ago, just to support the football culture back home."
Asked on stage about his football project, Burna Boy said what he hopes for:
"Hopefully, inshallah, one day I'll come back here to see one of my people getting an award in Ballon d'Or"
He then presented the award to Saka.
Saka was honoured for his charitable efforts through BigShoe, a group offering medical help to children who need it. His support has helped children get life-changing treatment, including surgery to restore sight.
Saka read out a letter from a 14-year-old boy. It began: "When I was 12, I started losing my sight." The letter went on: "Then, thanks to BigShoe, I received the eye care that I needed. Today, I can read the blackboard even from the back of the classroom." It ended: "I want to become an English teacher one day."
A video of the moment was posted on X by Runor (@Ogheneruhnor) on October 26.
The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony was the first held outside France. It took place at the London Palladium to mark 70 years since Stanley Matthews won the first award in 1956. TheCable reported that Burna Boy became the first Nigerian artiste to present an award at the ceremony. His London appearance came the day after he performed at the 2026 NFL Paris halftime show at Stade de France.
England and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane won the men's Ballon d'Or at the same ceremony, the first Englishman in 25 years to take the prize.
Earlier honourees include Sadio Mané, a Senegalese forward, Vinícius Júnior, a Brazilian winger, and Jenni Hermoso, a Spanish footballer. In 2025 the honour went to the Xana Foundation, which Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique set up in memory of his daughter.
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