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

Nigerian music superstar Burna Boy has reportedly made history as the first Nigerian artiste to present an award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, appearing at the 2026 edition in London.

The Grammy-winning singer, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, presented the 2026 Sócrates Award to Arsenal and England forward Bukayo Saka at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26. The ceremony marked the 70th edition of the prestigious football awards.

Before presenting the honour, Burna Boy spoke about his football academy in Nigeria and his desire to contribute to the development of the sport in his home country.

“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,” the singer said.

The Sócrates Award recognises footballers who use their influence to support humanitarian causes. According to the supplied report, Saka received the honour for his charitable involvement with BigShoe, an organisation that helps provide medical treatment for children, including surgical procedures in Nigeria.

Burna Boy’s appearance at the ceremony came amid a busy period of international performances. The singer has performed at several major sporting events, including the 2023 NBA All-Star Game and the UEFA Champions League final kickoff show. He also performed alongside Colombian superstar Shakira at the FIFA World Cup final halftime show in July, according to the report.

His international success extends beyond live performances. Burna Boy won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album in 2021 for Twice As Tall and has since received seven consecutive Grammy nominations. He rose to prominence in 2012 with “Like to Party”, the lead single from his debut album, L.I.F.E, released in 2013.

His subsequent albums include African Giant, Twice As Tall, Love, Damini, I Told Them and No Sign of Weakness, helping establish him as one of Nigeria’s most internationally recognised music exports.

Another Nigerian music star, Adekunle Gold, also attended the Ballon d’Or ceremony. The singer, whose real name is Adekunle Kosoko, was photographed arriving on the red carpet and shared his excitement on Instagram, writing, “I prayed for this all my life”. He also announced that he would perform at the event’s after-party in London.

The ceremony also recognised Harry Kane, who was reported to have won the men’s Ballon d’Or ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal. The Bayern Munich and England striker reportedly became the first English player to receive the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

Burna Boy’s reported appearance adds another milestone to the growing presence of Nigerian entertainers at major international sporting events, while his comments about grassroots football highlight his stated interest in supporting the game back home.