“Hopefully, Inshallah”- Burna Boy Shares Big Dreams For Nigerian Football At Ballon d’Or Ceremony

Nigerian Grammy-winning singer Burna Boy has made history as the first Nigerian artiste to present an award at the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony.

The Afrobeats star, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, appeared at the 70th edition of the awards on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the London Palladium, attracting attention from football and music fans.

The ceremony was held in London for the first time in a break from its traditional Paris location. The change was made to commemorate the 70th anniversary of England’s Stanley Matthews winning the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.

During the event, Burna Boy presented the Sócrates Award to Arsenal and England forward Bukayo Saka. The award recognises footballers who use their influence to promote humanitarian causes and make meaningful contributions to society.

Before announcing the recipient, the singer spoke about his football academy in Nigeria, explaining that he established the initiative a few years ago to support the development of football in his home country.

Expressing his hope that another Nigerian would one day receive recognition at the prestigious ceremony, Burna Boy said:

“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,” he said.

His remarks have drawn attention to his efforts to support football development in Nigeria and his desire to see more Nigerians recognised on the international stage.

Burna Boy’s appearance at the Ballon d’Or ceremony comes shortly after his half-time performance at the NFL Paris game, further highlighting his growing presence at major international events.

Moment Burna Boy gave a speech at #BallonDor stage and say he looks forward to come back and seeing a Nigerian win pic.twitter.com/CzZF1yt0Ux

@Ogadimw:”@burnaboy is bigger than any Nigerian Artist ever born. Burna is bigger than Fela, Wiz and David joined together walai 7 is a number 👆🏻💙”

@bethchigo:”He saw a vision, and that prophecy is referring to Victor Osimhen winning it soon.”