Burna Boy At Ballon d’Or 2026: First Nigerian Artiste To Present An Award, Hands Saka Sócrates Prize

According to a report by Guardian Nigeria on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Nigerian singer Burna Boy became the first Nigerian artiste to present an award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, handing the 2026 Sócrates Award to Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka at the London Palladium on Monday night.

Premium Times reported that before presenting the award, Burna Boy spoke about the football academy he set up in Nigeria to support the development of the game at home. Nigerian Eye reported that he said the academy was his way of giving back to the community and that he hopes one of its players will one day lift the Ballon d’Or.

Guardian Nigeria reported that Saka, who has Nigerian heritage, received the honour for his charitable work through his BigShoe initiative. Nigerian Eye described the Sócrates Award as an annual prize for players and their foundations for humanitarian and social work off the pitch.

The appearance came a day after Burna Boy performed at halftime of the NFL’s Paris game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France on October 25, according to Guardian Nigeria. Premium Times reported that Adekunle Gold also attended the ceremony’s red carpet, so two Nigerian music stars represented the industry at the event.

Premium Times noted that Rema became the first African artiste to perform at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in 2023, when he performed “Calm Down” in Paris. The outlet also noted that no Nigerian has won the Ballon d’Or itself.

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