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How Bukayo Saka’s work off the pitch earned him a Ballon d’Or award

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Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, recognizing his humanitarian work. The award is presented by France Football alongside Peace and Sport. Saka is the first Arsenal player and Englishman to receive it, following previous winners like Sadio Mane and Vinicius Jr. The ceremony took place at the London Palladium.

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How Bukayo Saka’s work off the pitch earned him a Ballon d’Or award
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Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, recognizing his humanitarian work. The award is presented by France Football alongside Peace and Sport. Saka is the first Arsenal player and Englishman to receive it, following previous winners like Sadio Mane and Vinicius Jr. The ceremony took place at the London Palladium.

Saka's humanitarian work includes projects with Big Shoe, providing medical care and aid to children and families worldwide. His efforts have helped over 100 children in Nigeria and Africa receive surgeries and funded emergency housing for families displaced by earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco. He also donated school uniforms and football boots to local charities.

Saka spoke about his pride in his Nigerian heritage and the importance of supporting children. On stage, he shared a story of a child whose eyesight was restored and expressed his joy in helping children have access to football. He thanked the organizers on behalf of the children helped and later posted about being proud of their impact on social media.

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Last week was a tough one for Bukayo Saka. The Arsenal winger is facing at least six weeks on the sidelines with the thigh injury he suffered against Bayern Munich, ruling him out of a string of big games, including Sunday’s trip to Liverpool. On Monday night, though, he had something to celebrate. At the Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium, where Harry Kane was crowned the winner of the main prize, Saka was presented with an award that has nothing to do with what he does on the pitch. Saka won the Socrates Award, which recognises the best humanitarian work carried out by a footballer anywhere in the world over the previous year. It’s presented by France Football alongside Peace and Sport, and was first awarded in 2022.

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